Plant Age Affects Wound-Induced Senescence in Lactuca Sativa L

Abstract

In the present study we investigated the performance of dark-stored wounded leaf discs and pieces (to some extent mimicking fresh-cut product) of Lactuca sativa L. in relation to the physiological maturity at harvest. We used two related genotypes, i.e. a green (cv. Troubadour) and a red butterhead (cv. Teodore) differing in their pigment levels.

Non‐destructive prediction of pigment content in lettuce based on visible–NIR spectroscopy

“…Data used for calibrating and validating the lettuce models covered representative pigment ranges, contributing to successful PLSR modeling. The senescence of red and green lettuces in relation to the age of the plant at harvest was investigated in another work, with chlorophyll content varying approximately from 4.0 to 13.0 mg kg −1 . Also, lettuce chlorophyll content varying between 4.2 and 11.4 mg kg −1 were used when applying different N treatments in four common green leafy vegetables .…”

Nitric oxide prevents wound-induced browning and delays senescence through inhibition of hydrogen peroxide accumulation in fresh-cut lettuce

“…In a study performed in our laboratory in parallel to the here reported one, Witkowska and Woltering (2013) found that younger leaves of both green and red butterhead lettuce expressed better capacity to cope with wound-induced browning and senescence than older leaves. However, there was not a clear relation between plant age and either the vitamin C or total antioxidant levels.…”

Quality of fresh‐cut products as affected by harvest and postharvest operations

“…Fresh‐cut butter head lettuce, of both green and red genotypes, prepared from younger plants (35 days of growth) had day‐shelf life extension (i.e. time to reach an unacceptable quality with slightly visible browning) compared to those from older plants (49 days of growth) . Previous studies also confirm the higher browning in fresh‐cut products as maturity advances, based on core and stem length.…”