Effect of modified atmosphere packaging on some physicochemical properties of spinach (spinacia oleracea L.) during storage time

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 M. Sc. of Food Science and Technology, Department of Food Science and Technology, Islamic Azad university of Isfahan (Khorasgan), Iran

2 Assistant Professor of the Department of Food Science and Technology, Islamic Azad university branch of Isfahan (Khorasgan), Iran.

3 Associate Professor of the Department of Food Science and Technology, Isfahan university of technology, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Modified atmosphere packaging is a technique used to prolong the shelf life of food such as vegetables and fruit. In this study, the effect of different levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide on some properties of native spinach leaves during twenty days of cool storage was investigated. A native variety of spinach for Isfahan was chosen and after harvesting, its leaves were modified atmosphere packaged in the polyethylene-polyamide bags. Five treatments including different contents of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) with the constant level of 80% N2 in each packaging were studied.. All packages were stored at 4°C for 20 days. The results showed that pH increased during twenty days of storage, and  increasing the content of carbon dioxide pH increased and became more alkaline. Ascorbic acid content decreased in all treatments during storage and also, increasing the levels of carbon dioxide caused more reduction in its concentration. The levels of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll of different treatments during storage were not significantly different and so, it can be concluded that different levels of gases caused no change in the chlorophyll content. The organoleptic properties of spinach were best maintained at packages containing moderate levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide and also, increasing the level of carbon dioxide reduced the freshness of spinach leaves.

Keywords

Main Subjects


[1] اسدی قارنه، ح ع.؛ حسندخت، م ر. (1386). برسی تنوع ژنتیکی توده­های بومی اسفناج ایرانی. مجله علوم کشاورزی ایران، جلد 38، شماره 2، صفحه 265-257.
[2] دانشور، م. (1379). پرورش سبزی. انتشارات دانشگاه شهید چمران اهواز، 461 صفحه.
[3] Rubatzky, E., Yamaguchi, M. (1997). World vegetables, principles, production and nutritive values. Chapman and hall., 843p.
[4] Conte, A., Conversa, G., Scrocco, C., Brescia, I., Laverse, J., Elia, A., Del Nobile, M.A. (2008). Influence of growing periods on the quality of baby spinach leaves at harvest and during storage as minimally processed produce. J. Postharvest Biology and Technology., 50, 190–196.
[5]Grozeff, G., Micieli, M., Gomez, F., Fernandez, L., Guiamet, J., Chaves, A., Bartoli, G. (2010). 1-Methyl cyclopropene extends postharvest life of spinach leaves. J. Postharvest Biology and Technology., 55, 182-185.
[6] Sivertsvik, M., Jeksrud, W. K., Vagane, A., Rosnes, J.T. (2004). Solubility and obsorption rate of carbon dioxide into non-respiring food part 1: development and validation of experimental apparatus using a manometric method. J. Food Engineering., 61, 449-458.
[7] Sandhya. (2010). Modified atmosphere packaging of fresh produce: Current status and future needs. J. Food Science and Technology., 43, 381–392.
[8] Allende, A., Luo, Y., McEvoy, J., Artés, F., Wang, C.Y. (2004). Microbial and quality changes in minimally processed baby spinach leaves stored under super atmospheric oxygen and modified atmosphere conditions. J. Postharvest Biology and Technology., 33, 51–59.
[9] Lee, S. Y., Baek, S. Y. (2008). Effect of chemical sanitizer combined with modified atmosphere packaging on inhibiting Escherichia coli O157:H7 in commercial spinach. J. Food Microbiology., 25, 582–587.
[10] Tudela, J., Marn, A., Garrido, Y., Cantwell, M., Marna, S., Medina-Martnez, M., Gil, I. (2013). Off-odour development in modified atmosphere packaged baby spinach is an unresolved problem. J. Postharvest Biology and Technology., 75, 75–85.
[11] Witham, F. H., Blaydes, D. F., Devlin, R. M. (1971). Experiments in plant physiology, Van Nostrand., New York, 245 p.
[12] Sadasivam, S., Balasubraminan, T. (1987). Practical Manual in Biochemistry Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Coimbatore., p 14.
[13] Zhang, D., Quantick, P., Wiktorowicz, R., Irven, J. (2000). Noble gases for modified atmosphere packagimg of fresh fruits and vegetables. Critical reviews in Food Science., 3, 12-16.
[14] Babic, I., Watada, A. E. (1996). Microbial populations of fresh-cut spinach leaves affected by controlled atmospheres. J. Postharvest Biology and Technology., 9, 187–193.
[15] Nisha, P., Singhal, R. S., Pandit, A. B. (2004). A study on the degradation kinetics of visual green colour in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and the effect of salt therein. J. Food Engineering., 64, 135–142.
[16] Ryan-Stoneham, T., Tong, C. H. (2000). Degradation kinetics of chlorophyll in peas as a function of pH. J. Food Science., 65, 1296–1302.
[17]Belitz, H. D.,Grosch, W., Schieberle, P. (2009). Food Chemistry. 4th revised and extended ed. Production: le-tex publishing services oHG, Leipzig. 1070pp.
[18] Glowacza, M., Mogrena, L. M., Readea, J. H., Cobba, A. H., James, M., Monaghana, A. (2013). Can hot water treatments enhance or maintain postharvest quality of spinach leaves. J. Postharvest Biology and Technology., 81, 23–28.
[19] Pandrangi, S., LaBorde, L. F. (2004). Retention of folate, carotenoids, and other quality characteristics in commercially packaged fresh spinach. J. Food Science., 69, 702–707.
[20] Evelyn, M., Toledo, M., Ueda, Y., Imahori, Y., Ayaki, M. (2003). L-ascorbic acid metabolism in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) during postharvest storage in light and dark. J. Postharvest Biology and Technology., 28, 47-57.
[21] Gil, M.I., Ferreres, F., Tomas-Barberan, F.A. (1999). Effect of postharvest storage and processing on the antioxidant constituents (flavonoids and vitamin C) of fresh-cut spinach. J. Agric. Food Chem., 47, 2213–2217.