Abstract

Baby leaf vegetables have naturally high levels of vitamin C, of which the major part is found as ascorbic acid (AsA). A higher level of AsA at harvest may prolong the shelf life of this perishable vegetable commodity. Temperature has been shown to be one of the factors that affect AsA synthesis in plants, as well as light and day length, and all these factors vary over the season. This study compared different baby leaf species, different baby leaf spinach cultivars and variation in vitamin C content in commercially grown baby leaf spinach over the season. AsA levels as well as dehydro ascorbic acid (DHA) levels on both fresh and dry weight basis were analyzed. These preliminary results indicate that vitamin C content varies greatly between baby leaf species and that exactly the same type of bag of baby leaf spinach from the same super market can contain leaves with a vitamin C content varying between 50-350 mg kg(-1) fw over the season.

Keywords

spinach; rocket; chard; quality; vitamin C; dehydro ascorbic acid

Published in

Acta Horticulturae
2018, Volume: 1209, pages: 27-33
Title: Proceedings of the II International Conference on Quality Management of Fresh Cut Produce: Convenience Food for a Tasteful Life
ISBN: 978-94-62612-06-8 , eISBN: 978-94-62612-06-8
Publisher: International Society for Horticultural Science

Conference

II International Conference on Quality Management of Fresh Cut Produce: Convenience Food for a Tasteful Life

SLU Authors

• Mogren, Lars

  • Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Horticulture


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1209.4

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/96799