"Effect of visible light treatments on postharvest senescence of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.)."

BUCHERT AM; GOMEZ LOBATO ME; VILLARREAL NM; CIVELLO PM; MARTINEZ GA

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Lugar: LOndres; Año: 2011 vol. 91 p. 355 - 361

0022-5142

BACKGROUND: Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) is a rapidly perishable vegetable crop. Several postharvest treatments havebeen applied in order to delay de-greening. Since light has been shown to have an effect on pigment accumulation duringdevelopment and darkness is known to induce senescence, the effect of continuous and periodic exposure to low-intensitywhite light at 22 ◦C on postharvest senescence of broccoli heads was assayed.RESULTS: Exposure to a constant dose of 12 µmol m−2 s−1 was selected as the most suitable treatment and was employed forsubsequent experiments. During the course of the treatments, hue and L∗ values as well as chlorophyll content and visualobservation of florets indicated an evident delay in yellowing in treated samples compared with controls. No statisticallysignificant differences in total protein content were found, but soluble protein content was higher in treated samples. Total andreducing sugar as well as starch levels decreased during postharvest senescence, with lower values in control samples.CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that storage under continuous low-intensity light is an efficient and low-costtreatment that delays postharvest senescence while maintaining the quality of harvested broccoli florets.