Light exposure reduced browning enzyme activity and accumulated total phenols in cauliflower heads during cool storage

•Light exposure inhibited PPO and POD activities, thus reduced browning occurrence.•Light exposure induced PAL activity and accumulated TP content.•Light exposure delayed vitamin C deterioration during storage compared to darkness.•Light exposure accelerated fresh weight loss during storage.

Effects of continuous light exposure (24 μmol m−2 s−1) on browning enzyme activity and total phenol (TP) content in fresh cauliflower heads were investigated during 7 d storage at 7 °C using darkness as the control. Results showed that light exposure inhibited polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO) by 26% and peroxidase (POD) by 16%, as well as lowering the browning index (BI) by 33%, compared to darkness, at the end of storage. Light exposure also induced 43%, 35%, and 20% increases in phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity at 1, 3, and 5 d storage, respectively, thus accumulating 41% more de novo TP content than in darkness after 7 d storage. In addition, vitamin C content deteriorated during storage under both light and dark conditions, with light exposure preserving vitamin C content 30% more than in darkness. However, light exposure accelerated fresh weight loss, with the largest value of 1.8% at the end of storage.