Abstract
Sessile Joyweed (Alternanthera sessilis) locally known as Mukunuwenna is the most widely cultivated and consumed leafy vegetable in Sri Lanka. However, it loses its shelf life within 3 to 4 days after harvesting under ambient conditions, which is a big issue in the market and at the household level. Modified atmospheric (MA) packaging has given promising results for many perishables to increase their postharvest shelf life which has not been tested for Mukunuwenna. Hence, the present experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of modified atmospheric packaging on keeping quality of Mukunuwenna. The experiment was conducted using perforated and nonperforated polyethylene with the gauge of 150 and 300. Mukunuwenna bundles with 100 g were used per each treatment. Irrespective of the gauge, perforated polyethylene (PPE) packages reduced water loss remarkably. However, PPE was not effective in delaying yellowing and leaf shedding. Sealed non-perforated polyethylene (SNPPE) packages reduced water loss and leaf yellowing remarkably irrespective of the thickness. SNPPE delayed chlorophyll degradation significantly (P<0.05) compared to that of PPE and control samples. Total soluble solid (TSS) content increased continuously in control samples whereas it was constant between 5.5% and 7% in other treatments. Leaf wilting and withering were the major problematic causes to lose the keeping quality of control treatment whereas leaf yellowing and decaying were the identified causes in PPE and SNPPE treatments under ambient conditions (34.2±1.8 °C). Visual quality rating (VQR) test results indicated the postharvest shelf life of control samples, PPE in both thicknesses and SNPPE in both thicknesses as 3, 4 and 6 days respectively. SNPPE with 150 and 300 gauges extend postharvest shelf life of Alternanthera sessilis (Mukunuwenna) by 100%.
Highlights
Leafy vegetables have been playing an important role in the Sri Lankan diets since ancient era
Highest chlorophyll content was observed in T4 throughout the storage period whereas the lowest chlorophyll content was observed in control sample at the 4th day of the storage period while T3 showed its lowest total chlorophyll content at the 5th day of storage period (Figures 1, 2A and 2B)
Significant (P
Summary
Leafy vegetables have been playing an important role in the Sri Lankan diets since ancient era. Reducing water loss and delaying leaf yellowing/ senescence may help in extending the postharvest life of Mukunuwenna. Modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) can be used to address these issues to increase the postharvest life of Mukunuwenna by delaying leaf yellowing and wilting. Apart from that, modified atmospheric packaging creates a barrier which restricts movement of water through the film being used This phenomenon helps to increase the relative humidity while reducing vapor pressure deficit, reducing the transpiration. Passive modified atmospheric packaging is commonly practiced which modifies the atmospheric condition as a result of respiration of the product and gas transmission rates of the packaging film It is a low-cost method compared to active modified atmospheric packaging and can be adopted by the people to extend the postharvest life of Mukunuwenna. The study intended to i) identify the effect of perforated and non-perforated plastic films as modified atmospheric packaging of Mukunuwenna, ii) compare the effectiveness of 150 and 300 gauge low density polyethylene (LDPE) in modified atmospheric packaging of Mukunuwenna, iii) compare the quality of modified atmospheric packed and non-packed Mukunuwenna in order to select the most suitable packing method and material for Mukunuwenna
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