The effects of thermal-assisted high pressure processing (TAHPP), within the range of 400e600 MPa at
40e60 C for 5e15 min, were studied on the quality of mango (Mangifera indica L.) pulp. Experiments
were performed according to rotatable central composite design and the process parameters were
optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The influence of process temperature was
greatest on pulp quality followed by pressure and hold-time within the experimental domain. Among
the quality parameters, total color difference (TCD), total flavonoid content (TF), enzymes inactivation
(pectin methylesterase, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase) and microbiological inactivation (aerobic
mesophiles, yeast & mold, total coliforms, lactic acid bacteria, psychrotrophs) were significantly affected
by TAHPP (p < 0.05). Changes in TCD, TF, and enzymes inactivation were modeled using quadratic
polynomials with a high coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.80). Desirable changes in these attributes
and microbiological safety (>5 log10 inactivation) were targeted while optimizing the TAHPP conditions
as: 600 MPa at 52 C for 10 min. The developed process was validated by comparing the quality attributes
of optimized product with the predicted values obtained from the RSM models which were found to be
in good agreement (