Ascorbic Acid, Carotenoids, and Visual Quality of Baby Spinach as Affected by Shade Netting and Postharvest Storage

Abstract

Baby spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) was grown under three types of shade netting (high transmittance, spectrum-altering, and low transmittance) to study the effect on the concentrations of vitamin C (ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid), carotenoids, and chlorophyll and on the visual quality of the leaves. The spinach was sown in April and August and harvested at two growth stages. After harvest, leaves were stored in polypropylene bags at 2 and 10 degrees C. Shading significantly decreased the ascorbic acid concentration of April-sown spinach by 12-33%, but in the August-sown spinach, the response was inconsistent. Concentrations of total carotenoids and total chlorophylls were significantly higher under the nettings in many cases, especially under the spectrum-altering and low-transmittance nettings. Postharvest visual quality and postharvest persistence of the compounds analyzed were not greatly affected by shading. We conclude that these shade nettings are acceptable to use in baby spinach production when it comes to the studied aspects of internal and external quality of the produce.

Can hot water treatments enhance or maintain postharvest quality of spinach leaves?

“…Total carotenoid concentration in unheated spinach leaves declined throughout the storage period. This is in agreement with previous findings (Pandrangi and LaBorde, 2004;Bunea et al, 2008) but in contrast to those reporting carotenoids to be relatively stable during the storage of spinach leaves (Bergquist et al, 2006(Bergquist et al, , 2007Lester et al, 2010).…”

“…A significant decrease in total AsA content was observed after 10 d of storage, an observation that has previously been reported by other authors (Gil et al, 1999;Bergquist et al, 2006Bergquist et al, , 2007Bottino et al, 2009). No significant difference in AsA content was observed between heated and unheated spinach leaves.…”

Evaluation of Borage Extracts As Potential Biostimulant Using a Phenomic, Agronomic, Physiological, and Biochemical Approach

“…The visual appearance (chlorophyll) of the produce and leaf carotenoids levels, both known to be affected by storage conditions (Bolin and Huxsoll, 1991; Bergquist et al, 2007; Agüero et al, 2008) were assessed. Borage extracts, administered either as in vivo treatment to plants or applied as coating on packaging films, exerted a positive effect on the photosynthetic pigments, preventing their degradation, and even inducing their increase during storage.…”

Fresh-Cut Produce Quality

“…Gonzalez-Aguilar et al (2008) assessed the physiological and biochemical changes of different fresh-cut mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars (Keitt, Kent, Ataulfo) stored at 5 C. Ataulfo had a much greater shelf life than the other two cultivars, almost double or triple; there was also a correlation between the carotene and vitamin C content of Ataulfo mango and its longer shelf life compared to the other cultivars. The importance of a high vitamin C content has extensively been indicated as a factor delaying tissue senescence (Lee and Kader, 2000;Bergquist et al, 2007). Wall et al (2010) evaluated the physicochemical, nutritional and microbial quality of fresh-cut papaya (Papaya carica L.) prepared from five cultivars with varying resistance to internal yellowing (IY) (Sunrise, SunUp, Rainbow, resistant; Kapoho, Laie Gold, susceptible), a disease caused by Enterobacter cloacae, an opportunistic pathogen.…”