Postharvest Quality and antioxidant content of baby spinach (Spinacia olceracea L.) as affected by harvest time and storage conditions.
Bergquist S., Gertsson U., Olsson M.
5th International Postharvest Symposium . Volume of Abstract . Verona, Italy 6-11 June 2004, p. 91
2004
บทคัดย่อ
Postharvest Quality and antioxidant content of baby spinach (Spinacia olceracea L.) as affected by harvest time and storage conditions.
Epidemiological studies show that a high intake of fruits and vegetables is correlated with a low incidence of diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.These protective effects have been attributed to the wide range of bioactive secondary metabolites, including antioxidants, found in large amounts in most fruits and vegetables.Relatively high concentrations of several antioxidants are found in spinach and other leafy vegetables.Antioxidant content not only differs between species or cultivars, but is also affected by factors such as nutrient and water availability, light, temperature and time of harvest.Aging processes starting immediately after harvest affect the content of these components.Preservation of freshness in vegetables and fruits is therefore not only a question of maintaining visual quality and texture, but also minimizing losses of bioactive compounds.Postharvest research also indicates that the aging process is affected by the contents of antioxidants within the product.How the content of antioxidants changes from harvest until consumption is still not well know.Vitamin C and carotenoid contents often decline in green leafy vegetables after harvest, but the knowledge of changes in contents of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds is still only fragmentary.Effects of genetic and environmental factors on the contents of antioxidants also need further investigation.The aim of this project is to investigate how harvest time and storage conditions affect the content of selected antioxidants and shelf life of baby spinach.Baby spinach (Spinacia olceracea cv. Emilia) was cultivated at Öllöv in southern Sweden.Leaves were harvested 2, 3 and 4 weeks after sowing, and stored in polypropylene bags at 2 or 10 °C, for up to 9 days.Results indicate that ascorbic acid and total carotenoid contents vary during the growth period.Postharvest conditions affect visual quality and the content of some antioxidants.