Effect of heat treatment on postharvest conservation of two varieties of Brussels sprouts

HASPERUÉ HJ; TSOUVALTZIS, P; SIOMOS, A

Concordia

Congreso; I CONGRESO ARGENTINO DE BIOLOGÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA POSCOSECHA; 2017

UNER-INTA-CIDCA-INFIVE

After harvest, yellowing of green vegetables is the first visible symptom of the senescence process. Postharvest heat treatments are used as an alternative for disinfestation and/or for maintaining the postharvest quality of fresh produce. In this experiment, two varieties of Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var gemmifera), Maximus and Montgomery, were harvested and dipped in water at 45 °C for 5, 10, 15 and 20 min and then stored for 7 days at 10 °C. Sprouts dipped only in cold water were used as controls. After hot water treatment and before storage, controls and 5 min dipping had the highest ethylene releasing rate but only in Maximus. After 5 d storage were 20 min treated samples which released more ethylene in both varieties. Respiration rate was higher during storage in 20 min treated samples only in Montgomery. Hue values indicated that dipping times of 10, 15 and 20 min were more effective in retaining green color in Maximus but not in Montgomery. After 7 d storage, chlorophylls content was higher in 20 min treatment only in Maximus, while carotenoids were higher in both varieties for the same dipping treatment compared to controls and the other dipping times. Also, at the end of storage samples treated for 20 min resulted in the highest antioxidant and phenolic contents (measured by the DPPH? and Folin-Ciocalteu methods respectively), only in Maximus. Overall results indicate that the treatment of 20 min dipping in hot water was the most effective in delaying post-harvest senescence of Brussels sprouts but only in Maximus variety.