Postharvest changes of fresh cilantro

IX Simpósio Ibérico de Maturação e Pós Colheita. Sessões Poster

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum L.) has become one of the most widely used fresh herbs worldwide. In addition to its flavorful culinary attributes, cilantro has been promoted by public health authorities as partial replacement of dietary salt intake. The objective of this study was to characterize the postharvest behavior of fresh cilantro to provide recommendations for proper postharvest handling. Freshly harvested cilantro leaves were bunched into 50 g bunches held by a rubber band, wrapped in plastic, cooled to ca. 5 ºC and transported to the laboratory within 2 h after harvest. The leaf bunches were placed at 0º, 10º, and 20 ºC, and assessed for mass loss, ethylene production rate, respiration rate, color, and chlorophyll content. Hedonic assessment of appearance and odor were also performed. Under these experimental conditions, fresh mass declined at a rate of 1.1; 1.5; and 6.3% per day, at 0º, 10º and 20 ºC, respectively. Ethylene production rate remained stable during storage at 0º or 10 ºC, at 0.26 and 1.61 μL kg-1 h-1, respectively. At 20 ºC, the initial ethylene production rate of 4.04 μL kg-1 h-1 increased sharply after 4 days to reach 25.64 μL kg-1 h-1 at day 7 due to fungal development. The initial respiration rate, expressed in mL CO2 kg-1 h-1, was 7.7 at 0 ºC, 27.8 at 10 ºC and 114.1 at 20 ºC, and remained relatively stable during storage at 0 and 10 ºC. However, respiration rate double during 7 days at 20 ºC due to decay. The initial hue angle of cilantro leaflets was 124.7º, a value that remained relatively constant during 30 days at 0 ºC, but decreased slightly (2 to 3%) after 15 days at 10 ºC or 4 days at 20 ºC. The initial SPAD index of 42.2 decreased to 37.7 after 4 days at 20 ºC, to 35.6 after 15 days at 10 ºC and to 39.6 after 30 days at 0 ºC. Total chlorophyll content at harvest was 1.92 mg g-1 with a ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b of 3.2. Chlorophyll content decreased slightly at 10º and 20 ºC, mainly due to the reduction in chlorophyll b but remained unaltered during 30 days at 0 ºC. The duration of postharvest life based on appearance was 1.6; 7.3, and 11 days at 20º, 10º and 0 ºC, respectively. However, odor was judged at the sales limit after 1.0; 2.0; and 9.0 days at 20º, 10º, and 0 ºC, respectively. In conclusion, the main causes of shelf-life termination are odor suppression and fungal development. Wilting can be reduced by packaging and senescence-related chlorophyll loss and yellowing are slower than odor suppression. Freshness is best preserved at 0 ºC

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