Studies on the CA-storage of spinach
1967 Volume 36 Issue 4 Pages 449-454
Details
1967 Volume 36 Issue 4 Pages 449-454
It has been well known that gas composition and temperature of atmosphere can affect the respirations and the qualities of some kinds of fruits such as apples, pears and bananas, but the effects of these factors on the storage of vegetables has not been shown so clearly. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of these factors on the quality and the metabolism of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) during CA-storage.
1) Spinach stored in CA-condition (O2; 8.6-12.5 %, CO2; 8.9-42%) kept their good quality for three weeks at 5±0.5°C. Spinach stored in 11% O2 and 40% CO2 at 5°C was not affected by carbon dioxide injury, but kept good green color and turgidity during storage.
2) The chlorophyll content in spinach didn′t decrease during CA-storage at 5°C, but the content decreased gradually at room temperature (February-March). Especially the chlorophyll content in spinach leaves in air decreased markedly. The CA-condition improved the color of stored product by retarding chlorophyll breakdown.
3) The l-ascorbic acid content in leaves and stems decreased rapidly during common storage. These decreases were kept down by CA-condition, so spinach. leaves stored in 40% CO2 and 11% O2 kept high content of ascorbic acid at the end of storage period.
4) O2 uptake in Warburg respirometer of cell free preparations from leaves increased gradually during storage of spinach, they increased just at the time when l-ascorbic acid content in leaves decreased.
5) In cell free extract succinic acid-1, 4-14C was converted into the other acids in TCA-cycle. The largest percentage of conversion was fonud in cell free extract from spinach leaves stored in common storage for 17 days, the smallest one was found in cell free extract from spinach stored in 40% CO2 for 17 days. Succinic dehydrogenase activities in spinach leaves decreased markedly for the initial 10 days of storage, then increased slowly in their activities. Succinic dehydrogenase activities of spinach leaves stored in CA-conditions were weaker than those of spinach stored in common storage at the end of the storage period.
These results comfirm a hypothesis that the controlled atomosphere condition can inhibit the succinic dehydrogenase activities and the respiratory metabolism in fruits and vegetables during storage, accordingly prolong theirr storage lives.
