Effect of washing treatments on chlorophyll a fluorescence and vitamin C content in minimally processed lamb’s lettuce during storage

Fresh-cut vegetables represent a good source of vitamin C. Lamb’s lettuce is a very rich source of this vitamin and its cultivation is constantly growing. Sanitary quality is a key aspect of fresh-cut products. Among the washing and sanitizing treatments good results has been obtained by using organic acids such as citric and ascorbic. The effect of citric or ascorbic acids as washing treatments was evaluated in lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella olitoria L.) during cold storage on the endogenous vitamin C content and chlorophyll a fluorescence. Leaves treated with citric acid had the highest content in vitamin C during the first 5 days of storage. Results from the fluorescence of chlorophyll a indicate that the samples treated with citric acid were less stressed compared to the other ones. For this reason citric acid can be successfully used in the fresh-cut washing to maintain the nutritional quality of lamb’s lettuce.