Hot air treatment decreases chlorophyll catabolism during postharvest senescence of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) heads

A hot air treatment was applied to broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) florets and its effect on chlorophyll catabolism during postharvest senescence was analyzed. Florets were treated at 48°C for 3 h and then placed in darkness at 20°C. During storage, the yellowing of florets occurred simultaneously with a decrease in chlorophylls and an increase in pheophytins. Heat treatment delayed the appearance of yellowing by 2-3 days and a similar extension of shelf-life could be inferred. Also, the treatment delayed the onset of chlorophyll catabolism and slowed both the rate of chlorophyll a degradation and pheophytin accumulation. No effect on chlorophyll b degradation was found. Chlorophyllase and Mg-dechelatase activities increased from the first day of storage in untreated florets, whereas peroxidase-linked chlorophyll bleaching activity increased from day 3. In heat-treated florets, chlorophyllase activity did not increase until day 2 and then increased at lower rate than in controls. Mg-dechelatase and peroxidase-linked chlorophyll bleaching activities were similar in treated and control florets during the first 2 days of storage, but thereafter the activity of both enzymes was lower in heat-treated samples. In conclusion, a treatment at 48°C for 3 h delayed chlorophyll a catabolism in broccoli during postharvest senescence and decreased the activities of chlorophyllase, Mg-dechelatase and peroxidase, three of the enzymes probably involved in chlorophyll degradation in plants. © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry.Fil: Costa, M.lorenza. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Civello, Pedro Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); ArgentinaFil: Chaves, Alicia Raquel. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Gustavo Adolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); Argentin

Mechanisms of Acido-Tolerance and Characteristics of Photosystems in an Acidophilic and Thermophilic Red Alga, Cyanidium Caldarium

In this chapter, we describe the mechanisms of acido-tolerance in an acidophilic- and thermophilic red alga, Cyanidium caldarium. In spite of the extremely acidic environments it inhabits, the intracellular pH of Cyanidium cells is kept neutral by pumping out the protons previously leaked into the cells according to the steep pH gradient. The H+ pump is driven by the plasma membrane ATPase, utilizing intracellular ATP produced by both oxidative phosphorylation and cyclic photophosphorylation via photosystem I. We also describe the characteristics and function of the two photosystems, Photosystem I (PSI) and II (PSII), in Cyanidium caldarium in comparison with those of cyanobacteria, other eukaryotic algae, and higher plants, based on the crystal structures of the two complexes reported so far