Keeping quality of sweet basil and purple basil

Abstract

Fresh sweet basil and purple basil were stored at 2°C and 20°C, and the effect of packing with sealed in polyethylene bag (30μm in thickness. PE), perforated polyethylene bag (PEf) and polyethylene stretch film (12, μm in thickness. PES) on the keeping quality of basils were studied.
The rete of weight loss was the greatest in PEf package with both kinds of basils at both temperatures, The freshness of sweet basil in PES, rapidly deteriorated to the limit of saling after storage for 6 days at 20°C. In PEf, it was deteriorated and reached to limit of saling at 7 days, while it was kept for 9 days at 20°C in PE package. The freshness of purple basil was kept for 9 days at 20°C in every kinds of package. At 2°C storage, the deteriorating rate of the freshness was faster than that at 20°C in every kinds of package and both basils. It was browning of leaves by chilling injury.
No difference of changes in ascorbic acid and free amio acid content was observed in both kinds basils and package.
The aroma evaluation score decreased with the progress of the storage time, and the rate was faster in PEf than that in PE at 20°C of sweet basil, but it was not observed in purple basil. The difference of decreasing rate on packaging method was not observed in both kinds of basils stored at 2°C. Chilling injury occurred severely under 10°C in sweet basil.
It was concluded that 12°C was the most suitable low temperature to prevent the chilling injury in basils. PE was the most effective to keep the quality of basils.