Influence of leaf-cover on visual quality and health-promoting phytochemicals in loose-curd cauliflower florets

- Leaf-cover influenced the appearance of curd in 3 loose-curd cauliflower cultivars.
- Leaf-cover reduced ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, carotenoid, and anthocyanin contents.
- Leaf-cover increased phenolic content.
- Changes in glucosinolate content in response to leaf-cover varied among cultivars.

Three cultivars were used to evaluate the influence of leaf-cover for three and six days on visual quality, health-promoting compounds and antioxidant capacity in loose-curd cauliflower. Leaf-cover significantly promoted the lightness and reduced chroma of the curd surface. Moreover, leaf-cover significantly reduced the contents of important antioxidants, including chlorophylls, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, as well as ascorbic acid in loose-curd cauliflower. Nevertheless, leaf-cover significantly induced the production of total phenolics in these loose-curd cauliflowers after three days. Furthermore, the changes of individual glucosinolates and ferric reducing antioxidant power were depended not only on the growing cover conditions but also on the genotypic characteristics. These results suggested that leaf-cover improved the visual quality but impaired the accumulation of some important health-promoting compounds in florets during the development of cauliflower curd.