Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the quality of four edible flowers: Viola × wittrockiana, Centaurea cyanus, Borago officinalis and Camellia japonica
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on the appearance, bioactivity and microbial content of four edible flowers along storage. Several treatments at 75–450 MPa and holding times (1, 5 and 10 min) were applied. Borage and camellia were unacceptable after all treatments, while centaurea showed good appearance at 100/5 MPa min -1 ; however, the shelf life did not increase. Pansies treated at 75/5 and 75/10 MPa min -1 also retained the appearance of fresh flowers. Furthermore, pansies submitted at 75/5 MPa min -1 maintained good appearance over 20 days of storage at 4 °C, while the untreated remained satisfactory only until 6 days. Even though no significant differences on microbial load were observed between untreated and HHP-treated pansies in day 0, HHP induced the production of bioactive compounds, increasing the shelf life of pansies. So, the HHP treatment is a promising technology for Viola × wittrockiana.
