Analysis of the Physicochemical Properties and Antioxidative Activity of Napa Cabbage Pickle

The principal objective of this fundamental research was to analyze the physicochemical properties the and antioxidative activity of Napa cabbage pickle (NCP) for development of low-salt pickles. NCP-1 was a smaller than NCP at amount soy sauce (10%). The pH of NCP and NCP-1 were 4.51±0.15, 4.85±0.08 immediately after preparation. The pH of NCP and NCP-1 was reduced to 4.08±0.05 and 4.31±0.12 over time during 60 days of storage. The acidity of the NCP and NCP-1 immediately after preparation were 0.51% and 0.38% and increased to 0.67% and 0.56% after 60 days of storage. The salinity for the NCP ranged from 1.71-2.22% and NCP-1 ranged from 1.18–1.63%. The L value, which indicates the lightness, was the highest at day 0 and the lowest at 60 day. The tensile strength value of NCP was 10.9±0.05 kgf/㎠ and NCP-1 in 11.84±0.11 kgf/㎠ at day 0 and then significantly decreased with time in storage. The cutting force of NCP was 1004±7.12 gf/㎠ and NCP-1 in 845±5.27 gf/㎠ at day 0, which increased over time in storage. The overall acceptability of NCP was the highest at day 30, but the overall acceptability of NCP-1 was the highest at day 45. NCP-1 extracts at day 60 showed the highest antioxidant activity of 66.04%, whereas the NCP extract at day 0 showed the lowest antioxidant activity of 45.41%. These results showed that depending on the content of the seasoning pickle difference in the antioxidant activity. Thus, the best pickled Napa cabbage is determined by a smaller amount soy sauce in NCP-1, and the results could provide a basis for improving the availability and quality of Napa cabbage.