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Effect of precooling on the postharvest quality of parsley leaves.

Author(s) : ALVARES V. S., FINGER F. L., SANTOS R. C. de A., et al.

Type of article: Article

Summary

The objective of this work was to determine the effects of a hydrocooling procedure, followed by storage at 5°C, on the shelf life of parsley cv. Graúda Portuguesa leaves. Bunches of parsley leaves were pre-cooled for fifteen minutes in a water and ice mixture kept at 5°C. During this period of precooling, close to 43% of the initial field heat was removed from the leaves. After the precooling treatment, the leaf bunches were placed at 5°C for 7 days. A control treatment was made up of bunches of parsley leaves that were also stored at 5°C for 7 days without being precooled. The hydrocooling procedure reduced the loss of fresh weight from the leaves in the first twelve hours of storage and maintained the relative water content at a high level even after seven days of storage at 5°C. Visual wilting of leaves was observed when approximately 10% of the initial fresh weight was lost, which was achieved 30 hours after harvest for the control and 42 hours for the precooled bunches. During storage, no significant alterations of the leaf chlorophyll, total soluble sugar and non-reducing sugars or starch contents were detected. However, the reducing sugars content increased at a rate of 2.62 g/kg leaf dry weight per day, corresponding to a 4.1-fold increase in 144 hours. Based on the data, we recommend precooling as an efficient method to retard the beginning of wilt for stored parsley leaves.

Details

  • Original title: Effect of precooling on the postharvest quality of parsley leaves.
  • Record ID : 2008-0754
  • Languages: English
  • Source: J. Food Agric. Environ. - vol. 5 - n. 2
  • Publication date: 2007/04

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