At harvest no differences in FC-reacting substances were found between primary and secondary broccoli despite the difference in antioxidant capacity (Fig. 3D). Phenolic compounds have been shown to be the major antioxidants in Brassica vegetables (Podsedek, 2007; Jahangir et al., 2009). During the initial 14 d of storage both types of broccoli florets showed a decreasing trend in the content of FC-reacting compounds. However, subsequently a marked increase was found in lateral
florets. The accumulation of FC-reacting substances, as an index of post-harvest senescence, was observed in lettuce (Leja et al., 1994) and broccoli (Starzynska et al., 2003).