Color development in harvested white asparagus spears in relation to carbon dioxide and oxygen concentration
2001
Siomos, A.S. | Dogras, C.C. | Sfakiotakis, E.M.
Freshly harvested white asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) spears were exposed to light for about 3 h, then stored for 6 days at 2.5 degrees C under continuous light (15 +/- 1.9 W m(-2)) or in the dark under the following gas mixtures: (a) air, 1, 2.5, 5, 10 or 15% O2 and (b) air, 1, 2.5, 5, 10 or 15% CO2. Some spears were exposed to a 100% CO2 atmosphere for 0, 6 or 24 h at 5 or 20 degrees C and then stored in air at 2.5 degrees C for 4 days and held after storage at 20 degrees C for 1 more day to assess color. In the air-stored spears as well as in the spears stored under all O2 concentrations, anthocyanin content increased significantly, resulting in an intense purple color of the tips. The postharvest increase of the anthocyanin content was prevented and the spears had the best color when they were stored in an atmosphere with a CO2 concentration greater than or equal to 5% in the dark or a CO2 concentration greater than or equal to 10% in the light. Brief exposure to a 100% CO2 atmosphere, before air storage, was as effective as the continuous storage under the above conditions in preventing the postharvest anthocyanin accumulation.
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