Effect of High CO2 Treatment and MA Packaging on Sensory Quality and Physiological-Biochemical Characteristics of Green Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) during Postharvest Storage

Abstract

Green asparagus is vulnerable to thrips that carry microorganisms and cause deterioration in quality. The effects of 60% CO2 treatment, which is used to kill thrips, combined with perforated (P) or modified atmosphere (MA) packages during cold storage, on the sensory quality and physiological–biochemical characteristics of asparagus were investigated. MA packaging yielded an asparagus shelf-life five days longer than P packaging. The 60% CO2 treatment for 48 h at 4 °C packaged with MA film (CO2-48 h-4 °C-MA) showed a lower number of aerobic bacteria, yeast, and mold. Yellowing of asparagus was retarded, as shown by higher hue angle and chlorophyll content and lower chlorophyllase activity. Also, CO2-48 h-4 °C-MA treatment inhibited the reduction of soluble solids content in asparagus. Likewise, all high CO2 treatments showed lower electrolyte leakage (EL), with CO2-48 h-4 °C-MA demonstrating the minimum EL. The effectiveness of high CO2 on maintaining sensory qualities was observed, with a score higher than 3.0. In conclusion, CO2-48 h-4 °C-MA treatment during cold storage was effective for maintaining post-harvest sensory qualities and physiological–biological traits of asparagus, and provided strong inhibition of microflora growth during the storage period.

Effect of Pre-Storage CO2 Treatment and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Sweet Pepper Chilling Injury

“…As a way of regulating the CO 2 content in the film, the oxygen transmission film (OTR) allows the transmission of O 2 within the fruit’s environment [ 11 ] and the fruit’s respiration is responsible for changes in the gas content. Following discussion from previous studies, peppers have a tolerance level of 5% CO 2 in MAP conditions [ 5 ].…”

“…Electrolyte leakage (EL) was determined following the Wang [ 11 ] method. Sweet pepper mesocarp samples (0.5 g) were immersed in 0.4 M mannitol (25 mL) and shaken for 3 h at room temperature, after which the EL was measured immediately with a handheld meter (HI 9813-6 Portable pH/EC/TDS/°C Meter; Hanna Instruments, Padova, Italy).…”

“…Moreover, because of its effect on redox and the cellular membrane, short-term anoxia has been shown to alleviate postharvest disorders [ 10 ]. A study shows it to be beneficial in that it increases resistance to bacterial and fungal attacks [ 11 ], which is most likely accomplished by inhibiting cell wall degradation. These, among many other reasons, have shown the cause of its general adoption.…”

Nutritional Composition Profiles and Quality Evaluation of Different Cultivars of Asparagus Officinalis with Potential as Functional Foods and Health‐Care Products

“…Therefore, the quality of A. officinalis circulating in the market is uneven, which seriously affects economic benefits and its expansion and application. Most of previous studies have focused on improving transport efficiency, storage process, [21] processing procedure, [22] preharvest factors [23] and other external conditions to improve the quality of A. officinalis . For example, Wang et al [21] .…”

“…Most of previous studies have focused on improving transport efficiency, storage process, [21] processing procedure, [22] preharvest factors [23] and other external conditions to improve the quality of A. officinalis . For example, Wang et al [21] . studied the effects of 60 % CO 2 concentration treatment combined with perforated package (P) and modified atmosphere package (MA) on the sensory quality, physiological and biochemical characteristics of post‐harvest A. officinalis ; the results showed that the experimental condition in which MA membrane was treated with 60 %‐CO 2 at 4 °C for 48 h (CO2‐48 h‐4 °C‐MA) could strongly inhibit the growth of the microflora of during A. officinalis storage and effectively maintain the contents of soluble solids and electrolytes.…”