Visual quality and nutraceutical properties upon storage of Sanguisorba minor Scop, proposed as a new fresh-cut product

The consumption of wild edible plants has nowadays got a renewed interest due to the proved healthy roles of wild species in human diet. Sanguisorba minor is a wild edible plant which resulted a promising species in terms of phytochemical compounds in previous studies, and, therefore, a possible candidate to become a new fresh-cut product. The present study analyzed the storage of fresh-cut S. minor plants produced in two different local farms (Fl and F2) with the aim to investigate the maintenance of the main bioactive compounds upon storage. Changes in color, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC), vitamin C and total antioxidant activity (TAA) were analyzed during a cold storage of 12 days under light condition. Color, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents remained almost constant upon the storage period. Moreover, a retention of vitamin C resulted at the end of the 12-d storage period, independently to the material origin (Fl or F2). Conversely, TPC, TFC and TAA pattern differed between Fl and F2 material upon storage. Further researches are necessary to consolidate the best practices aimed at ensuring the highest level of bioactive compounds in minimally processed leaves of this new possible fresh-cut product.