Effect of Temperature and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus,L.) Quality during Storage

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out on globe artichoke cultivar "French Hyrious" in the winter seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 in private farm at Behiera Governorate and in Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural research Center postharvest laboratory to study the physical and chemical changes in the heads. To improve the storage ability of the heads, two kinds of cold storage, two types of packages were examined. Stored heads under cold storage conditions of 0ºC and 95% R.H. were much better than those stored at 5ºC and 95% R.H as it possessed the lower loss in weight and unmarketable percentage beside maintained the higher visual quality and colour in addition to contain more concentrations of T.S.S., total sugars, inulin, ascorbic acid and lower respiration rate. On the other hand, the heads stored in plastic boxes either lined with perforated polypropylene or unlined under 0ºC or 5ºC and 95% R.H exhibited that lined plastic boxes existed lower loss in weight, unmarketable percentage, higher visual quality, greater colour retention and kept more concentrations of T.S.S., total sugars, inulin, ascorbic acid beside lower respiration rate comparatively to those heads stored in the unlined ones.Keywords: Globe Artichoke; Polypropylene; TSS; Total sugars; Inulin; Ascorbic acid IntroductionGlobe artichoke (Cynara scolymus, L.) is a perennial plant which belong to the Asteraceae family, originating from the Mediterranean region where it is traditionally cultivated and commonly consumed as an important vegetable [1][2][3]. Artichoke flower heads (or capitula) are immature composite inflorescences, including the edible part of the plant used worldwide as a fresh, frozen, or canned foodstuff. Moreover, artichoke industrial byproducts (stems, outer bracts, leaves) represent about 80% of the biomass and may be used as raw material for the extraction of food additives and antioxidants [4,5].In addition, leaves, stems and industry residues are used for cattle feed. This vegetable crop possess an important nutrition value and medicinal uses due to its high contents of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, inulin, heparaxal, fibers and many minerals beside it contain cynarin which has effects on hepatobitary diseases, hyperlipidaemia, dropsy, rheumatism and cholesterol metabolism [6][7][8].Optimum temperature of storage was mainly the major factor for extending the storage ability of vegetables by minimizing both the physical, chemical and biochemical changes. Hence, it was shown from the studies done on the heads of globe artichoke during cold storage that the heads stored at 0ºC lost 0.8% after 16 days of cold storage while those stored at 6 and 9ºC lost 1.3 and 2.9% respectively whereas the heads stored at 17ºC could not been prolonged for more than 10 days of storage [9]. The same conclusion was observed on, broccoli, as the spears stored at 20ºC reflected rapid decrease in weight comparatively to those stored at 0ºC which exhibited less decree [10]. It was noticed cauliflower that the curds stored at 0 º C were...