Abstract
Pre-harvest climatic conditions and genotype may have important effects on head quality and post-harvest performance of fresh-cut broccoli. The present work evaluates the effect of the growing cycle (summer–autumn (SA), winter (W), winter–spring (WS), and spring (S)) and genotype on qualitative (dry matter, concentration of chlorophylls, carotenoids, and color) and antioxidative (ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid, total phenol concentrations, and antioxidant capacity) traits of broccoli heads and minimally processed florets. The WS raw product showed the best color indices (L* = 38.6, C* = 9.3 and h° = 123.8) as well as the highest chlorophyll (0.23 µg mg−1 fresh weight) but the lowest total phenol concentration (5.5 µg mg−1 dry weight - DW), whereas the ascorbic acid level (2.3 µg mg−1 DW) was comparable to or lower than that the other growing cycles. The WS florets confirmed their best visual quality, even showing an improved total phenol level after 14 days of cold storage. The climatic conditions experienced by broccoli plants grown in SA, W, and S periods were stressful as they resulted in a slight reduction in the visual quality of the heads, though only the SA florets showed a distinctive decay during storage. The lower post-harvest performance of SA grown broccoli was confirmed in all the tested cultivars, despite ‘Naxos’ seeming more tolerant. On the contrary, the greatest content of ascorbic acid (3.2 µg mg−1 DW) in the W heads and of phenols (11.1 µg mg−1 DW) in S heads was maintained during storage, thus preserving floret color.
Highlights
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. conv. botrytis (L.) Alef. var. cymosa Duch.) is a green vegetable with high nutritional value due to its richness in vitamins, antioxidants, anti-carcinogenic compounds, and health-promoting phytochemicals [1,2].Broccoli has been traditionally marketed as having whole heads, yet in recent years it has grown to become greatly appreciated by consumers as a ready-to-eat product.Broccoli heads are harvested before florets anthesis, requiring a continuous supply of water, nutrients, and endogenous hormones to maintain their homeostasis [3]
PC1 separates thea far right-hand of chlorophylls and carotenoids
Prolonged-stored florets are excluded from this group, experienced by the broccoli plants grown in the growing may be considered as abiotic stressors for confirming
Summary
Broccoli heads are harvested before florets anthesis, requiring a continuous supply of water, nutrients, and endogenous hormones to maintain their homeostasis [3]. After harvesting, these organs experience severe stress that leads to the appearance of senescence symptoms [4,5] with yellowing that occurs quite rapidly during storage. In the case of the ready-to-use product, additional stresses are caused by handling, floret cutting, cold storage, and packaging. It is known that pre-harvest factors such as climatic conditions and cultural practices act as potential stressors and may affect antioxidative status of raw material, which, as a consequence, impact the shelf-life of the ready-to-use
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