The use of the SPI-based edible coating helped prolong the
shelf-life of fresh-cut artichoke, with significantly higher L* and
lower a* values than uncoated artichokes (water-dipped) (Fig. 6).
Coated artichokes also presented higher b* values than uncoated
samples because of the effect of Cys on artichoke tissue, as previously
described. Among the coated samples, those packed in
passive atmosphere (MA-P) and under superatmospheric O2 (MAB)
conditions presented the lowest a* values, whereas the uncoated
samples under atmospheric conditions (Control) presented the
highest degree of browning with the lowest L* and the highest a*
values. Packaging both coated and uncoated fresh-cut artichoke
pieces under MA-A did not significantly improve the quality of
minimallyprocessedartichokes as comparedto atmospheric conditions
(Control). Gómez di Marco et al. (2011) reported that the best
combination to reduce artichoke head browning was to apply high
O2 concentrations (80 kPa) and lemon juice as antioxidant. However
when no antioxidant was applied, the passive MA was more
effective than the high O2 atmosphere. Poubol and Izumi (2005)
stated that applying superatmospheric O2 concentrations (60 kPa)
to fresh-cut mango showed a similar or higher degree of browning
than using ambient air conditions at 5 ◦C. Moreover, a decrease
of the antioxidant effect due to dipping pear wedges in a thiolcontaining
solution has been observed when samples were packed
in 70 kPa O2 or in low O2 atmospheres (2.5 kPa O2 + 7 kPa CO2) in
comparison to those packed under passive MA (Oms-Oliu et al.,
2008b, 2008c).