Keeping the rhythm: light/dark cycles during postharvest storage preserve the tissue integrity and nutritional content of leafy plants

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dc.citation.journalTitleBMC Plant Biology
dc.contributor.authorLiu, John D.
dc.contributor.authorGoodspeed, Danielle
dc.contributor.authorSheng, Zhengji
dc.contributor.authorLi, Baohua
dc.contributor.authorYang, Yiran
dc.contributor.authorKliebenstein, Daniel J.
dc.contributor.authorBraam, Janet
dc.date.accessioned2015-09-16T17:51:16Z
dc.date.available2015-09-16T17:51:16Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.date.updated2015-09-16T17:51:16Z
dc.description.abstractBackground: The modular body structure of plants enables detached plant organs, such as postharvest fruits and vegetables, to maintain active responsiveness to environmental stimuli, including daily cycles of light and darkness. Twenty-four hour light/darkness cycles entrain plant circadian clock rhythms, which provide advantage to plants. Here, we tested whether green leafy vegetables gain longevity advantage by being stored under light/dark cycles designed to maintain biological rhythms. Results: Light/dark cycles during postharvest storage improved several aspects of plant tissue performance comparable to that provided by refrigeration. Tissue integrity, green coloration, and chlorophyll content were generally enhanced by cycling of light and darkness compared to constant light or darkness during storage. In addition, the levels of the phytonutrient glucosinolates in kale and cabbage remained at higher levels over time when the leaf tissue was stored under light/dark cycles. Conclusions: Maintenance of the daily cycling of light and dark periods during postharvest storage may slow the decline of plant tissues, such as green leafy vegetables, improving not only appearance but also the health value of the crops through the maintenance of chlorophyll and phytochemical content after harvest.
dc.identifier.citationLiu, John D., Goodspeed, Danielle, Sheng, Zhengji, et al.. "Keeping the rhythm: light/dark cycles during postharvest storage preserve the tissue integrity and nutritional content of leafy plants." <i>BMC Plant Biology,</i> (2015) BioMed Central: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12870-015-0474-9.
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12870-015-0474-9
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/81656
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherBioMed Central
dc.rightsThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
dc.rights.holderLiu et al.; licensee BioMed Central.
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.titleKeeping the rhythm: light/dark cycles during postharvest storage preserve the tissue integrity and nutritional content of leafy plants
dc.typeJournal article
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.publicationpublisher version
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