Use of arginine to inhibit browning on fresh cut apple and lettuce
Abstract Fresh cut Granny Smith apple and iceberg lettuce were dipped in aqueous solutions of l arginine at ambient pressure and assessed for browning on the cut surface during storage at 5 degC. Arginine delayed the development of browning and hence extended postharvest life. For apple slices, dipping in 50 mM arginine for 10 min resulted in a 15 fold increase in postharvest life over control slices. For lettuce pieces, the postharvest life was doubled by dipping in 100 mM arginine for 5 min. Arginine was found not to affect the taste of apple slices after a 250 mM dip and was more effective on a concentration basis than calcium ascorbate in inhibiting browning. Further studies are warranted to assess the suitability of arginine as a treatment to inhibit browning of fresh cut produce.