3.2. Effect of NO treatment on browning index
The browning index of the control increased sharply after the first two days, reaching 3 at the fourth day and 3.8 at the sixth day, with serious browning rendering the product inedible (Fig. 2). The SNP treatment showed only minor browning with a browning index of 0.4 in the first four days. At the end of the storage period, the browning index of treated shoots reached 2, but at that level the shoots still had commercial value and were edible. Compared to the control, SNP treatment significantly (P < 0.01) inhibited browning.