TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of postharvest treatments and storage temperature on the physiological, nutritional, and shelf-life of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) microgreens
AU - Patil, Manisha
AU - Sharma, Sonika
AU - Sridhar, Kandi
AU - Anurag, Rahul Kumar
AU - Grover, Kiran
AU - Dharni, Khushdeep
AU - Mahajan, Shikha
AU - Sharma, Minaxi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2024/3/1
Y1 - 2024/3/1
N2 - Microgreens are categorized in the class of ‘super foods’ due to their high content of phytochemical and bioactive compounds. Rapid senescence and short life span are the restrictive parameters for the industrial production and marketing of these immature greens. Hence, there is a need to improve the production and storage conditions of microgreens to magnify postharvest quality, life span, and safety of microgreens, thereby emerging markets. To prolong their shelf life, effect of different postharvest treatments (MAP (modified Atmospheric Packaging) and GRAS chemical treatments) and storage temperature on physiological, nutritional and shelf life of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) microgreens studied. The effect of ascorbic acid + citric acid (0.25 % w/v each) along with MAP conditions (15 % CO2 + 5 % O2 + balanced N2) stored at 5 °C was used for post-harvest quality evaluation of broccoli microgreens. Microgreens treated with an organic acid in high CO2 conditions retained significantly (p < 0.05) higher bioactive compounds in terms of total phenols (1247.68 mg GAE/100 g FW), flavonoids (56.9 mg QE/100 g FW), and chlorophyll (42.12 mg/100 g FW) with better antioxidant activity (44.78 % inhibition). In addition, MAP conditions in the package significantly (p < 0.05) suppressed the weight loss that helped to retain better firmness. The combined effect of organic acids and MAP conditions significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the microbial load with better color quality and higher overall acceptability. The results indicate that post-harvest treatment of ascorbic acid + citric acid along with MAP conditions could be the practical approach to enhance the shelf life of microgreens up to 12 days while maintaining the nutritional quality, to provide avenues for better marketability and commercial gains.
AB - Microgreens are categorized in the class of ‘super foods’ due to their high content of phytochemical and bioactive compounds. Rapid senescence and short life span are the restrictive parameters for the industrial production and marketing of these immature greens. Hence, there is a need to improve the production and storage conditions of microgreens to magnify postharvest quality, life span, and safety of microgreens, thereby emerging markets. To prolong their shelf life, effect of different postharvest treatments (MAP (modified Atmospheric Packaging) and GRAS chemical treatments) and storage temperature on physiological, nutritional and shelf life of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) microgreens studied. The effect of ascorbic acid + citric acid (0.25 % w/v each) along with MAP conditions (15 % CO2 + 5 % O2 + balanced N2) stored at 5 °C was used for post-harvest quality evaluation of broccoli microgreens. Microgreens treated with an organic acid in high CO2 conditions retained significantly (p < 0.05) higher bioactive compounds in terms of total phenols (1247.68 mg GAE/100 g FW), flavonoids (56.9 mg QE/100 g FW), and chlorophyll (42.12 mg/100 g FW) with better antioxidant activity (44.78 % inhibition). In addition, MAP conditions in the package significantly (p < 0.05) suppressed the weight loss that helped to retain better firmness. The combined effect of organic acids and MAP conditions significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the microbial load with better color quality and higher overall acceptability. The results indicate that post-harvest treatment of ascorbic acid + citric acid along with MAP conditions could be the practical approach to enhance the shelf life of microgreens up to 12 days while maintaining the nutritional quality, to provide avenues for better marketability and commercial gains.
KW - Broccoli microgreens
KW - MAP
KW - Nutritional quality
KW - Organic acids
KW - Physiological quality
KW - Shelf life
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85181085229&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scienta.2023.112805
DO - 10.1016/j.scienta.2023.112805
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85181085229
SN - 0304-4238
VL - 327
JO - Scientia Horticulturae
JF - Scientia Horticulturae
M1 - 112805
ER -