Establishment of a statistical model for browning of fresh-cut lotus root during storage

•Browning metabolism of fresh-cut lotus root was studied.•Membrane permeability, phenol metabolism and active oxygen metabolism were examined.•Typical preservatives that could effectively prevent browning were examined.•A statistical model for browning of fresh-cut lotus root was established.

A browning model was proposed to investigate the physiological and biochemical changes of fresh-cut lotus root cv. “3537”. The effects of water (CK), 0.1% (w/v) NaHSO3, 0.2% citric acid (CA), 0.01% ascorbic acid (AA), 0.1% l-cysteine (Cys) and composite preservative (CP: 0.1% CA, 0.005% AA and 0.05% Cys) on the quality and physiology of the lotus root during low-temperature storage were determined. CP treatment minimized browning degree L*, respiration rate and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide anion (O2−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and maximized activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase (POD) and catalase. Linear regression analysis was performed by using browning degree L* as the dependent variable and the other nine indices as the independent variables. Browning degree was significantly negatively correlated with MDA and O2− contents, but was significantly positively correlated with POD activity. The simplified regression model was Lˆ*=65.784−11.062x3−0.101x5+0.003x6 (x3: MDA, x5: O2−, x6: POD).