Changes in Physicochemical, Nutritional and Hygienic Properties of Chinese Cabbage Seeds and Their Sprouts on Gamma and Electron Beam Irradiation

Abstract

Seed sprouts are susceptible to microbial contaminations, which might cause foodborne illnesses. In this study, gamma-and electron beam (e-beam)-irradiated (0-3 kGy) Chinese cabbage seeds (Brassica rapa ssp. Pekinensis) and their sprouts were investigated for the physicochemical, functional and microbiological qualities during storage. The irradiated seeds and their sprouts showed better overall microbial quality compared with nonirradiated samples; however, their hygienic quality profiles were same during storage of sprouts. The contents of ascorbic acid, carotenoid, chlorophyll and total phenolics of the seeds increased during germination but negligible changes were found during postharvest storage. Gamma irradiation and e-beam had similar effects on the physicochemical quality of Chinese cabbage seed sprouts with few exceptions (low germination rate of e-beam-treated seeds). These effects should be considered to obtain acceptable hygienic, nutritional and sensory attributes of irradiated Chinese cabbage seeds. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThe sprouted seeds widely used for human consumption are the suspect carriers of bacterial pathogens, which can outbreak sprout-related foodborne illnesses. Irradiation treatment is a promising technology to increase shelf life of sprouts and reduce bacterial pathogen contamination with minimum concession of nutritional and sensory aspects. However, it is significant to establish the effect of applied irradiation dose on the seed germination, sprout length, quality parameters and overall acceptability. bs_bs_banner Journal of Food Quality

Effects of heat‐assisted irradiation treatment on microbial and physicochemical qualities of dried laver ( Porphyra spp.) and optimization by response surface methodology

“…Irrespective of the irradiation treatment, the carotenoid content could be decreased due to the effect of storage period and in a similar study by Kamat et al (), the irradiation treatment did not exert any significant effect on carotenoid content while carotenoid content decreased with corresponding increase in storage period and after 2 weeks of storage, the irradiated samples showed the similar decreasing tendency in carotenoid content as was observed in control (0 kGy) samples. Corresponding to the results of this study, similar findings have been reported by Kwon et al () and carotenoid content remain unchanged after exposure to E‐beam irradiation when compared with non‐irradiated control samples in Chinese cabbage seeds and sprouts. Similar results have been reported by Xu, Gao, Liu, Wang, and Zhao () for the extraction of carotenoid content from sea buckthorn whole berry with optimized extraction conditions.…”

“…4 and 14, the thermal treatment at higher temperatures of 170 and 180°C, respectively led to significantly (p < 0.05) higher rate of degradation of pigment compounds, such as chlorophyll regardless of the applied E-beam doses (Table 2). Corresponding to our results, similar findings have been reported by Kwon et al (2013) and chlorophyll content was remained unaffected by exposure to ionizing radiation, such as…”

Assessment of changes in microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory qualities of γ‐irradiated strawberries ( Fragaria × ananassa Duch. “Maehyang”) during storage

“…The 0.9 kGy dose most effectively lowered the TAB counts during storage, and even strawberries stored for 9 days showed substantially lower TAB counts (4.05 log CFU g −1 ) than those in the control group (5.46 log CFU g −1 ) (Table 1). The above observations regarding TAB decontamination by γ-irradiation or E-beam were in agreement with the observations of previously published reports on Chinese cabbage sprouts and seeds (Kwon et al, 2013), ground black pepper (Waje et al, 2009), and seed sprouts (Waje , 2008). Here, the sterilizing effect of γ-irradiation was dosedependent and the counts changed with a corresponding rise in the storage time.…”

Sprouted Grains: A Comprehensive Review

“…Other techniques to ensure the hygienic safety of sprouts could include ionizing radiation treatment, electron beam (e-beam) or gamma ray irradiation [ 210 , 211 ], as well as their combination with sodium hypochlorite [ 212 ]. However, these techniques are subjected to limitations and are not approved in all countries; in addition, major drawbacks are represented by their detrimental effects on different seed growth parameters.…”