The influence of controlled atmosphere storage on phytosterols in broccoli heads

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze changes in sterols content during storage of broccoli.Broccoli heads of“Marathon”and“Cezar” cultivars were stored for 6 weeks in a cold store, under normal (0% CO2 + 21% O2) and controlled atmosphere conditions (CA, 5% CO2 + 2% O2) at the temperature of 0–1C. Sterols, in the forms of free sterols and glucosides, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Color parameters of broccoli were determined spectrophotometrically using CIE L*a*b* system. Amount of free sterols in the freshly harvested heads reached 54.3 mg/100 g dw and was the highest in the heads of “Marathon.” The dominant free sterol was b-sitosterol. During the storage of broccoli, sterol content decreased but was higher in the heads stored in CA. The broccoli showed smaller changes of color when stored in CA than in normal atmosphere.