Effect of chemicals on the quality and physiology of fresh-cut Zizania latifolia

The effect of various chemicals alone or in combination treatments on the quality and physiology of fresh-cut Z.latifolia were investigated.The results showed that the 4-HR, CC, AA, N-AC and combination treatments retarded browning of fresh-cut Z.latifolia significantly.After 15 days storage at (1±0.5) ℃, the weight loss were 95.6%, 75.3%, 74.5%, 76.5% and 57.9%, respectively, of the control.Firmness were 66.1%, 91.0%, 80.4%, 74.6% and 86.7%, respectively, compared to that at the beginning, while it was only 63.6% in the control.Ascorbic acid retention rate were 70.5%, 75.1%, 89.2%, 83.3% and 82.6%, respectively, and it was 57.5% in the control.All treatments maintained relatively high reducing sugar contents and relatively low respiratory rate, superoxide anion radical (O-2·) production rate and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents.These treatments also inhibited polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities compared with the control.Peroxidase (POD) activities were 3.07, 1.95, 1.73, 2.01 and 1.35 folds, respectively, compared to that at the beginning.The present findings indicated that the tested chemicals could retard physiological metabolism and browning on cut surface, improve free radicals scavenging activities, and therefore maintained a better quality of fresh-cut Z.latifolia during storage at 1℃.Since the combination of antibrowning agents gave even better effect, it was suggested that the combination treatment could be commercially used to control browning and to maintain quality in fresh-cut Z.latifolia.