The Impact of Sodium D-Ascorbate Treatment on the Physiological Alterations of Freshly Cut Cistanche During Storage

Objective Aimed to investigate the quality variations and their effects on physiological indicators of sodium D-isoascorbate (D-VcNa) treatment during the preservation process of fresh-cut Cistanche deserticola.

Methods This study utilizing samples sourced from the Turpan of Xinjiang. The fresh-cut Cistanche deserticola was immersed in D-VcNa solutions with mass concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 g·L⁻¹ for one minute and subsequently stored at a constant temperature for ten days. Key parameters such as moisture content, soluble solids, color metrics, changes in antioxidant compound levels, and activities of antioxidant enzymes were assessed throughout the storage period.

Results The results demonstrated that when stored for 10 days, the fresh-cut Cistanche tubulosa treated with 2.0 and 3.0 g·L⁻¹ D-VcNa exhibited preferable storage effects. The moisture contents were 76.70% and 77.51%, respectively; the contents of soluble solids were 16.17% and 16.50%; the L values were 52.19 and 56.89; the a values were 5.38 and 3.50; the b values were 21.87 and 19.57; the contents of soluble proteins were 1.21 and 1.45 mg·g⁻¹; the total phenolic contents were 12.61 and 13.98 mg·g⁻¹; the CAT activities were 54.10 and 61.38 U·g⁻¹; the GSH contents were 140.74 and 169.35 μmol·g⁻¹; the GR activities were 23.98 and 30.57 U·g⁻¹; the APX activities were 88.52 and 93.11 U·g⁻¹; the MDA contents were 1.27 and 0.92 nmol·g⁻¹; the POD activities were 95.79 and 87.29 U·g⁻¹; the PPO activities were 7.06 and 6.72 U·g⁻¹; the PAL activities were 14.67 and 17.42 U·g⁻¹.

Conclusion 2.0 and 3.0 g·L⁻¹ D-VcNa on fresh-cut Cistanche can effectively delay the decline in antioxidant content, enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes, reduce the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), and inhibit peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity. Furthermore, during storage, the 3.0 g·L⁻¹ D-VcNa treatment additionally suppresses polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme activity and promotes phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme activity. Treatments with 2.0 and 3.0 g·L⁻¹ D-VcNa can significantly mitigate the loss of nutrients and minimize oxidative damage to tissues, thereby reducing browning and achieving superior color preservation. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical reference for the low-temperature storage of fresh-cut Cistanche.