Changes of Chlorophyll in Brined Cucumber

Abstract

With a purpose to preserve the green color the pigment changes of cucumbers during brine storage under various conditions were investigated to obtain the following results.
1. The salt content in the interior and the exterior of cucumbers brined in 20% and 36% NaCl solution seemed to attain equilibrium after 20 days.
2. In the experiments without copper sulfate addition, green color of cucumbers brined in 20% NaCl almost faded within 20 days.
When the copper sulfate was added, the color of cucumbers brined kept green well during soaking in brine especially with the addition of glycine or lysine with copper sulfate.
3. pH value of cucumbers dropped down rapidly during the first 10 day brine curing treatment.
4. The principal changes of pigment was found in the reduction of chlorophylls and the increase of pheophorbides.
5. Regardless the addition of copper sulfate, spectral curves gradually shifted to short wave range with a longer brine storage.