Postharvest biology of fresh Moringa oleifera leaves

Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaves are a highly nutritious but perishable vegetable.
Postharvest respiration rates of the leafy stems are high, with average rates over 6 d of 16, 55 and 210 µL CO₂ g^-1 h^‑1 at 0, 10 and 20°C, respectively.
These rates are comparable to those of asparagus stems.
Ethylene production is very high for a leafy vegetable, with average rates over 6 d of 0.25, 1.9 and 3.8 nL g^‑1 h^‑1 at 0, 10 and 20°C, respectively.
The major causes of postharvest deterioration are yellowing, leaf drop or abscission, dehydration and decay.
Lowering the storage temperature from 20 to 5°C helped maintain green leaf color, and reduced leaf drop and dehydration.
Shelf-life was 2-3 d at 20°C, 5-8 d at 10°C and 10-14 d at 5°C. Moringa leaves are extremely sensitive to exogenous ethylene, and a 500 ppb 1-MCP treatment for 4 h effectively controlled leaf drop both in the air-stored and ethylene-exposed moringa stored at 10°C. These data can support improved postharvest management along the value chain for fresh moringa leaves.

V International Conference on Postharvest and Quality Management of Horticultural Products of Interest for Tropical Regions

M.I. Cantwell, C. Waterman

ethylene production, leaf abscission, 1-MCP, respiration, storage temperature

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1340.33