Articles
Reducing postharvest losses using modified atmosphere packaging bags for African nightshade (Solanum scabrum Mill.) leaves
Article number
1205_11
Pages
97 – 108
Language
English
Abstract
African nightshade (Solanum scabrum Mill.) is important for its nutrition, health promoting compounds and its contribution in providing a secure food supply and livelihood for smallholder farmers in rural, peri-urban and urban areas in Kenya.
However, inadequate postharvest handling practices result in high losses.
To address this issue, studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on improving storability, nutritional and health promoting compounds of ‘Olevolosi’ African nightshade.
Plants were cultivated in a climate chamber for four weeks and three weeks under greenhouse conditions.
Leaves were harvested and either packaged in MAP (Xtend®) or left in the open (control). The leaves were stored for 8 days to simulate retail conditions (20°C and RH 56%) and 15 days in cold storage (7°C and RH 86%). Fresh weight loss, leaf colour, antioxidative compounds (i.e., β-carotene, lutein, lycopene, vitamin E, and vitamin C), chlorophylls, protein, microbial counts, and gas composition within MAP were evaluated.
The results showed that leaf colour was retained by MAP, more so at 7°C. MAP reduced weight loss by 76.4-83.9% at 20°C and 71.0-84.8% at 7°C compared with the control.
Moreover, MAP maintained or even increased the content of protein, vitamins C and E, β-carotene, lutein, lycopene and chlorophylls in both storage conditions in comparison to the control.
During storage, the concentration of CO2 increased to 0.7-3.3%, while O2 was reduced by 0.9-3.3% being more pronounced at 20°C, compared to ambient conditions.
However, the use of MAP did not reduce microbial counts.
The findings indicate the potential of using MAP to improve shelf life and preserve bioactive quality compounds of African nightshade.
This could be a vital step to improve nutrition, health and the economic status of smallholder farmers in developing countries such as Kenya.
However, inadequate postharvest handling practices result in high losses.
To address this issue, studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on improving storability, nutritional and health promoting compounds of ‘Olevolosi’ African nightshade.
Plants were cultivated in a climate chamber for four weeks and three weeks under greenhouse conditions.
Leaves were harvested and either packaged in MAP (Xtend®) or left in the open (control). The leaves were stored for 8 days to simulate retail conditions (20°C and RH 56%) and 15 days in cold storage (7°C and RH 86%). Fresh weight loss, leaf colour, antioxidative compounds (i.e., β-carotene, lutein, lycopene, vitamin E, and vitamin C), chlorophylls, protein, microbial counts, and gas composition within MAP were evaluated.
The results showed that leaf colour was retained by MAP, more so at 7°C. MAP reduced weight loss by 76.4-83.9% at 20°C and 71.0-84.8% at 7°C compared with the control.
Moreover, MAP maintained or even increased the content of protein, vitamins C and E, β-carotene, lutein, lycopene and chlorophylls in both storage conditions in comparison to the control.
During storage, the concentration of CO2 increased to 0.7-3.3%, while O2 was reduced by 0.9-3.3% being more pronounced at 20°C, compared to ambient conditions.
However, the use of MAP did not reduce microbial counts.
The findings indicate the potential of using MAP to improve shelf life and preserve bioactive quality compounds of African nightshade.
This could be a vital step to improve nutrition, health and the economic status of smallholder farmers in developing countries such as Kenya.
Authors
E.O. Gogo, B. Trierweiler, A.M. Opiyo, L. Frommherz, M. Frechen, C. Ulrichs, S. Huyskens-Keil
Keywords
African leafy vegetables, shelf life, bioactive compounds
Groups involved
- Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
- Division Plant Genetic Resources, Breeding and Biotechnology
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Horticulture for Development
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Temperate Tree Fruits
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Working Group Landscape Horticulture
- Working Group Guava and other Myrtaceae
- Working Group Biotechnology of Horticultural Species
- Working Group Protected Cultivation, Nettings and Screens for Mild Climates
- Working Group Quality Management in Plant Propagation
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