Pigmental composition and physico-chemical characteristics of Bittergourd (Momordica charantia L. cv. Jadeite) during postharvest period as influenced by illumination colors
From Firenze University Press Journal: Advances in Horticultural Science
J.G. Ponteras, Agriculture Department, Institute of Agricultural Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies, Southern Philippiness, Agribusiness and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology, Malita, Davao Occidental, Philippines.
J.D.C. Quisil, College of Agriculture, Central Mindanao University, University Town, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon, Philippines.
F. Salas, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Visayas State University, Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines.
Momordica charantia L. is known as bitter gourd, with its good nutritional and medicinal properties, is grown in approximately 340,000 ha (Dhillon et al., 2016) annually in tropical Asia, including Eastern Asia, India, and China, which is its center of origin (Behera et al., 2010; Prajapati et al., 2021 a). The production volume in the Philippines has increased by 1.8% to 32.05 thousand metric tons (PSA, 2022). Its primary demand arises from its antidiabetic properties (Rosario and Macusi, 2009). The presence of phenols, terpenes, and flavonoids in bitter gourd contributes to its bitter taste and antioxidant properties (Dutta et al., 2021), which are desired by consumers (Behera et al., 2010; Taiti et al., 2017) and can help prolong its shelflife (Salas et al., 2015). The metabolites found in bitter gourd are affected by cultivars and cultural practices such as Light, temperature, soil, and nutrition (Valyaie et al., 2021). The importance of Light in postharvest produce cannot be overstated, as plants perceive stimulus for growth and development through light. Recent studies have discovered that even after plants are harvested, their lightdependent processes continue. To ensure the longevity of postharvest fruits and vegetables and maintain their metabolite levels, various treatments both chemical and nonchemical can be applied. For example, bittergourd fruits can be stored for up to five days under ambient conditions without ripening, yellowing, or losing their bitterness (Salas et al., 2015; Prajapati et al., 2021 a). As a means of preserving postharvest produce, researchers have begun exploring the use of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). In fact, supplemental lighting from LEDs has been shown to enhance the market value of harvested sweet peppers by inducing colour break (Jones, 2018). Researchers have therefore explored the use of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to prolong shelflife and maintain metabolites in various crops (Ma et al., 2014; D’Souza et al., 2015; Bantis et al., 2018; Loi et al., 2020; Poonia et al., 2022). The findings of these studies have been corroborated by the upregulation of vitamin C, antioxidants, anthocyanins, and the physical appearance of fresh produce towards market acceptability. For example, white LED lighting facilitates the accumulation of phenols in harvested vegetables (Poonia et al., 2022), which are known to have antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties and may enhance the health benefits of these crops. It was observed that the LEDs had a drying effect, leading to a rapid increase in transpiration, as reported by Chua et al. (2021). Various studies have shown that different types of light can have varying effects on different types of vegetables. For example, white and blue LEDs can modulate the stomata opening and number of stomates (Zhan et al., 2013), resulting in weight loss of certain vegetables such as Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck (Favre et al., 2018), Brassica oleracea var. chinensis Lei (Zhou et al., 2020), and freshlycut leaves of Amaranthus dubius L. (Jin et al., 2021). On the other hand, darkstored celery has a lower dry matter content compared to freshcut celery due to lower total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, and chlorophylls (Zhan et al., 2013; Florkowski et al., 2014). In another study, freshly sliced cherry tomatoes exposed to white, blue, and green LEDs showed a transitory increase in vitamin C one day after slicing, while those exposed to red light remained stable (Kong et al., 2020). It is worth noting that the effect of LED lighting on postharvest crops varies depending on the type of crop, LED intensity, and duration of exposure. For example, in previous studies, broccoli exposed to 9.5 and 19.0 W m2 white LED illumination for three hours per day showed delayed chlorophyll degradation and lower weight loss (Pintos et al., 2020). Okra fruits treated with white and blue LEDs (17.28 W m2) for 8 h showed an increased total phenolics content (Thilini Deepashika Perera et al., 2022), while berry grape treated with 41 and 42 W m2 of LED showed an increased anthocyanin content at 24 h, and blue LED decreased fungal infections in citrus fruits at a fluence rate of 120 W m−2 and 700 W m2 for 18 h under 25°C (Nassarawa et al., 2020). In addition, bitter gourd exposed to UVC LED for 40 min at 10°C and 8595% RH had a prolonged shelflife of up to 16 d (Prajapati et al., 2021 b). While chemicalbased treatments have been the focus of many researchers to improve the postharvest life of vegetables, there is a growing interest in using LED treatments to increase shelflife and enhance metabolites. It is hypothesized that varying illuminations of white, blue, and red LED with 1.5 Wattage (W) can delay pigmental degradation, preserve organic compounds, and extend shelflife in harvested bitter gourd. This study tried to assess how the quality of bitter gourd change during postharvest by applying varying illuminations color LED (white, blue, and red) with 1.5 Wattage (W).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-15691
Read Full Text: https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ahs/article/view/15691
