Effect of Oxidative Stress on Physicochemical Quality of Taiwanese Seagrape (Caulerpa lentillifera) with the Application of Alternating Current Electric Field (ACEF) during Post-Harvest Storage

Abstract

This study aims to determine the physicochemical quality of seagrape (Caulerpa lentillifera) as a freshness label for products cultivated in different seasons. The applied post-harvest storage experiments compared between, within and without seawater that led to oxidative stress conditions. Water content, malondialdehyde (MDA) compound, total phenolic content (TPC), and chlorophyll content were observed at 0, 3, 6, and 9 days of storage. The storage without seawater showed sharper quality reductions by reaching 20–40% of water loss, 70–90% of MDA production, 15–25% of TPC reduction, and 40–60% of total chlorophyll degradation. The storage within seawater showed lower quality reductions due to the specific growth rates still reaching 5–10%. This study found that the greater the physicochemical quality, the slower the decomposition rates of the stored seagrape during storage. Therefore, the seagrapes’ obvious discoloration occurred earlier in winter, followed by summer and spring. Kinetics of chlorophyll degradation on seagrape in different seasons meet different order-reactions during storage. Furthermore, alternating current electric field (ACEF) treatment with 125 kV/m of intensity for 60 min can lower the spring seagrapes’ physicochemical quality by reaching 10–30% of inhibition, resulting in the shelf-life extension for up to 12 days of post-harvest storage.

Sea grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera J. Agardh, Chlorophyta) for human use: Structured review on recent research in cultivation, nutritional value, and post-harvest management

“…Therefore, the authors most frequently chose water content as the essential response variable (Fig. 6A, B; Terada et al 2018;Stuthmann et al 2020;Liang et al 2021;Sulaimana et al 2021).…”

“…Desiccation of C. lentillifera fronds, independent of the different packaging materials and experimental setups, resulted in varying degrees of water loss over different experimental runs, from ~ 5% after 5 days (Liang et al 2021), to ~ 25-40% after 9 days (Sulaimana et al 2021) and ~ 9 to 72% water loss after 12 days (Table 1; Terada et al 2018;Stuthmann et al 2020). Desiccation induced oxidative stress, quantified by decreasing F v /F m values (Terada et al 2018;Stuthmann et al 2020;Liang et al 2021), increasing levels of stress biomarkers, including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, peroxidase, proline and antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, peroxidase/ PER) (Liang et al 2021;Sulaimana et al 2021), as well as decreases in chlorophyll a, b and soluble protein content (Liang et al 2021;Sulaimana et al 2021). However, when sea grapes were rehydrated after desiccation, a recovery, e.g.…”

Pulsed electric field‐assisted drying: A review of its underlying mechanisms, applications, and role in fresh produce plant‐based food preservation

“…Chlorophyll pigments Mg 2+ in the porphyrin ring and carboxyl side chain migrate toward the electrode surface under the application of electric fields (Sánchez‐Vega et al., 2014). Alternating current electric field prevents chlorophyll degradation in sea grapes during storage, possibly decreasing phytol removal, ROS generation, and pheophytin migration in replacing Mg 2+ during chlorophyll breakdown (Sulaimana et al., 2021).…”

“…Healthy and natural food products of high quality, including plant‐based products, are in demand in the food industry (Salehi, 2020). However, their perishability is a major threat to food quality and safety (Morales‐de la Peña et al., 2019; Sulaimana et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2020). In general, plant‐based products have high water content and water activity, thus making them highly perishable.…”

The Impact of Different Pretreatment Processes (Freezing, Ultrasound and High Pressure) on the Sensory and Functional Properties of Black Garlic (Allium sativum L.)

“…However, further information on the effects of such pretreatments on the functional components and sensory attributes of the final product is needed. To date, many studies related to the combination of emerging technologies have been carried out to improve the characteristics of materials, to assist in processing, and to extend the shelf life of materials or products [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”