Visible light as a new tool to maintain fresh-cut lettuce post-harvest quality

Fresh-cut lettuces are susceptible to tissue browning and quality deterioration during post-harvest storage, even if they are kept in cold temperature. In this study we tried to counteract these undesirable physiological disorders by testing either storage under continuous light or after short treatments (2 d) with intermittent light (2 h on/2 h off) followed by storage in darkness. Two light intensities, 50 and 150 μmol m−2 s−1, were studied. Continuous light (50 or 150 μmol m−2 s−1) significantly inhibited tissue browning but stimulated dehydration. However, intermittent light during 2 days minimized browning and water loss and showed a global positive residual physiological change during the following 5 d of storage in darkness. All light treatment maintained the photosynthetic capacity of fresh cut lettuces excepting for high continuous light (150C). The photosystem II efficiency was negatively affected by both the continuous and intermittent light at 150 μmol m−2 s−1 but not by the moderate intermittent light (50 μmol m−2 s−1). Finally, among the overall conditions tested, the short treatment (2 d) of fresh-cut lettuce by intermittent moderate level light (50 μmol m−2 s−1) followed by storage in darkness appeared to be the best compromise. Although not yet ideal, this treatment could maintained the product quality by reducing browning, minimizing weight loss and respiration and also keeping high level of photosynthetic capacity. Future studies in this context of visible light based post-harvest treatments are consequently promising.