Light irradiation affects the total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic compounds, phenolic acids, and related enzyme activities of minimally processed spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.)

Pre-harvest supplemental LED treatments led to improved postharvest quality of sweet basil leaves

This study determined the effects of supplemental light-emitting diode (LED) treatments on the nutrient quality and volatile compounds of sweet basil leaves during stimulated shelf-life. Basil plants were grown in a greenhouse under different supplemental LEDs (white, blue, red, or red + blue each at 100 μmol m-2 s-1), while plants grown under sunlight served as the control. The findings revealed that plant height and canopy of basil showed a significant increase under red LED irradiation, while the leaf area was improved by the blue LED exposure. Moreover, blue LEDs enhanced the levels of phenolic compounds, total phenolic contents, total flavonoid contents, and PAL (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) activity in harvested sweet basil leaves. Additionally, red + blue LEDs lighting stimulated the production of volatile compounds. During storage, the samples treated with blue LEDs maintained a higher quality compared to the control samples. In conclusion, the application of blue or red + blue LEDs prior to harvest can be beneficial for promoting and preserving the nutritional quality of sweet basil.

Analytical assessment of modulated electric flux triggered degradation of chlorfenapyr and deltamethrin pesticides in guava fruits

The purpose of this study was to explore the new effective method and investigate the dissipation of chlorfenapyr and deltamethrin (DM) pesticides used in the treatment of guava fruit from tropical and sub-tropical areas of Pakistan. Five different solutions of varying concentrations of pesticides were prepared. This study involved the in-vitro and in-vivo analysis of modulated electric flux-triggered degradation as an efficient method for the safer degradation of selected pesticides. The Taser gun was used as a tool for providing different numbers of electrical shocks of million voltages to the pesticides present in guava fruit at different temperatures. The degraded pesticides were extracted and analyzed by High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC chromatograms verified that significant dissipation of pesticides took place when these were exposed to 9 shocks at 37 °C, which proved the efficiency of this degradation method. More than 50% of the total spray of both pesticides was dissipated. Thus, modulated electrical flux-triggered degradation is one of the effective methods for pesticide degradation.

The Mixing Ratio and Filling-Amount Affect the Tissue Browning and Antioxidant Properties of Fresh-Cut Baby Leaf Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and Rocket (Eruca sativa Mill.) Grown in Floating Growing Systems

Different types of baby leaf vegetables (BLV) are often mixed and packaged as salad mixes. This work has evaluated the effects of BLV mixing ratios (100% lettuce ‘Lollo Bionda’, 100 LB; 75% lettuce + 25% rocket, 75 LB; 50% lettuce + 50% rocket, 50 LB) and the weight filling amount (125 g filling amount, 125F; 250 g, 250F) on the antioxidant properties and browning potential (BP) of lettuce and rocket baby leaves during storage for 9 days at 4 °C in the dark. The samples were packaged in thermos-sealed bags previously prepared using polypropylene film. The results showed that the 50 LB mix had preserved high amounts of chlorophylls and internal nutrients on d9, regardless of the filling amount. No visible browning symptoms were detected in the 50 LB samples. The 50 LB × 125F mix was found to be the most efficient strategy to maintain the antioxidant property of BLV. Thus, the optimisation of the mixing ratio and its combination with an appropriate filling amount could represent an effective postharvest practice.