Title: The effect of partial dehydration on the quality and composition of plain-leaf, curly-leaf and turnip-rooted parsley during storage

Authors: Athanasios I. Antonopoulos; Christina Kannavou; Ioannis C. Karapanos; Spyridon A. Petropoulos; Harold C. Passam

Addresses: Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855, Athens, Greece ' Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855, Athens, Greece ' Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855, Athens, Greece ' Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, Nea Ionia, 38446 Volos, Greece ' Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855, Athens, Greece

Abstract: Quality characteristics of partially dehydrated parsley were examined. Although the leaves of plain-leaf, curly-leaf and turnip-rooted parsley stored at 2 or 7°C for 40 days lost up to 80% fresh weight (FW), chlorophyll degradation was observed only in leaves stored at 7°C. At 2°C, leaf chlorophyll content on a FW basis mostly increased due to water loss. The essential oil content of the leaves also increased on a FW basis during storage, without changes in the major oil constituents, except for a reduction in myristicin (and to a lesser extent β-phellandrene) in plain-leaf parsley and an increase in 1,3,8-π-menthatriene in curly-leaf and turnip-rooted parsley. Overall, there was little effect of vinyl film packaging on the parameters studied. It is suggested that partial dehydration may be a useful alternative means of utilising fresh parsley since it retains its oil constituents and is more aromatic than dried parsley.

Keywords: partial dehydration; composition; parsley; storage; postharvest quality; essential oil content; myristicin; phellandrene; menthatriene; chlorophyll degradation; Petroselinum crispum; plain-leaf parsley; curly-leaf parsley; turnip-rooted parsley; parsley storage; vinyl film packaging.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPTI.2014.068728

International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation, 2014 Vol.4 No.2/3/4, pp.151 - 163

Received: 15 Feb 2014
Accepted: 03 Dec 2014
Published online: 18 Apr 2015 *

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