Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene and vacuum cooling treatments on post harvest quality of Salicornia bigelovii Torr.

Salicornia bigelovii Torr. is a potential human food supplement that can be cultivated in subtropical salt marsh with seawater irrigation. However, this plant is not only perishable but also highly seasonal. The objectives of this study were to examine if the prestorage treatments with several concentrations of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) from 0 to 2.5 mL L-1, and vacuum cooling would have an effect on post harvest quality of S. bigelovii. Quality indices of sensory, ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll, crude fiber and β-carotene contents were evaluated after 12 and 24 days of storage at 2°C plus a shelf life of two days at 20°C. S. bigelovii presented great quality deterioration during post harvest storage at 2°C, especially during the two-day shelf life period at 20°C. The moisture loss during vacuum cooling can cause detrimental effects on quality, but which can be neutralized with the prolonging of storage duration. Meanwhile, S. bigelovii was unsusceptible to 1-MCP treatments regardless of the dosages used. The treatment of 1-MCP was not effective on S. bigelovii; however, vacuum cooling obviously showed the potentials of maintaining qualities of S. bigelovii during post harvest storage, especially in the later shelf life period.   Key words: Halophytic plant, pre-treatment, quality, shelf life, storage.