Elucidation of colour development and microstructural characteristics ofAllium sativumfumigated with acetic acid

Abstract

Summary It has been well known that the greening of Allium sativum cloves could be formed after immersed in acetic acid solution. Nonetheless, no investigation was reported on colour development of A. sativum in response to acetic acid vapour until now. In this study, the brief exposure of A. sativum to acetic acid vapour (200–400 ppm) was combined with controlled atmosphere (5%, 20% and 80% CO2) packaging storage to break cell membrane and green garlic. The garlic bulbs were fumigated with acetic acid before controlled CO2 atmosphere packaging for 25 days at 4 °C. Fumigation with 200 ppm acetic acid followed by high CO2 atmosphere packaging (80% CO2) facilitated the garlic greening. It was also verified that γ-glutamyl transpeptidase was involved in garlic greening in present study, and the compromise of glacial acetic acid vapour fumigation and CO2 gas atmosphere in package stored at low temperature could result in garlic greening as well.