Synergistic effect of red-white LED and modified atmosphere packaging on okra quality maintenance and its mechanism in simulated cold chain logistics.

Okra is rich in nutritional value, but transportation vibration, cold chain breakage and improper storage can quickly accelerate quality deterioration. In this study, we simulated the cold chain transportation process to find the synergistic effect of red-white LED illumination combined with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on okra quality maintenance and its mechanism of action. After 16 d of storage, LED+MAP can better avoid water loss and wilting in okra. The fracturability was 35 %, 33 %, and 40 % of fresh okra for LED, MAP, and LED+MAP, respectively, compared to 17 % for CK. CK produced unpleasant odors, but the odor of LED+MAP was close to the fresh. LED+MAP maintained the stability of the nutrient content of okra. The chlorophyll content of LED+MAP was reduced to 64 % of the original compared to 35 % of that for CK. The total phenol content of LED+MAP was reduced to 55 % of the original compared to 26 % of that for CK. The total flavonoid content of LED+MAP was reduced to 72 % of the original compared to 56 % of that for CK. LED+MAP regulated the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and the antioxidant capacity was significantly higher than that of the other groups. The ascorbic acid content of LED+MAP was reduced to 52 % of the original compared to 38 % of that for CK. The MDA content of LED+MAP was 3.83 times of the original compared to 8.52 times of that for CK. The electrolyte leakage of LED+MAP was 2.12 times of the original compared to 2.86 times of that for CK. With the increase of storage time, O 2 concentration in MAP showed a decreasing trend and CO 2 showed an increasing trend. O 2 in LED+MAP showed a growing trend followed by a decreasing trend and CO 2 showed a decreasing trend followed by a rising trend. LED+MAP complemented the shortcomings of the single technology and was more effective in delaying the quality deterioration of okra. • Okra tended to yellow and shrivel in the supply chain. • Combining LED with MAP can improve the quality of okra. • LED combined with MAP can delay the oxidation process. • LED combined with MAP can extend the shelf life up to 16 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]