Abstract:[Objective]The basic characteristics of L-malic acid and the application of L-malic acid in orange juice were studied.[Method]The basic characteristic differences of L-malic acid, citric acid, and DL-malic acid were compared in terms of thermal stability, pH stability, and taste quality changes of electronic tongue. Subsequently, the three sour agent were added into orange juice. The effects of L-malic acid on the stability and volatile flavor of orange juice were analyzed based on the differences in centrifugal sedimentation rate, pH, electrical conductivity, particle size, Zeta potential, and volatile components.[Result]L-Malic acid had good stability in the ranges of 40~121 ℃ and pH 2.0~7.0. L-Malic acid differed markedly from citric acid in terms of astringency and the aftertaste of astringency, while it had no significant difference in taste indicators from DL-malic acid. Compared with citric acid, L-malic acid at the same mass concentration showed an increase of 63.79% in astringency value, a decrease of 68.07% in astringent aftertaste value, and increases of 37.41% and 26.05% in sour and bitter aftertaste values, respectively. Compared with the addition of citric acid, the addition of L-malic acid as the same mass concentration effectively increased the Zeta potential and improving the stability of the orange juice beverage system.[Conclusion]This study provide technical support for the promotion and application of L-malic acid in improving the taste quality and stability of orange juice products.
