Abstract: Fresh-cut cauliflower is prone to oxidative browning and quality deterioration during storage and sales. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop effective methods for maintaining the quality of fresh-cut cauliflower. In this experiment, ‘ummer flower’ cauliflower was used as the experimental material and soaked in limonene, and the preservation effect of limonene treatment on fresh-cut cauliflower was explored by measuring physiological metabolism, taste and flavor indexes. The results showed that limonene treatment of fresh-cut cauliflower could effectively inhibit the increase of browning index (BI), mass loss rate and respiratory intensity, and slow down the decrease of L* value and total solid solids (TSS) content. Moreover, limonene treatment could increase the activity of antioxidant-related enzymes, maintain the contents of antioxidants (ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutataione (GSH)), increase 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduce the accumulation of MDA, superoxide anion radical and hydrogen peroxide, reduce lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, delay membrane lipid peroxidation, and maintain the quality of fresh-cut cauliflower during storage. Further results showed that limonene treatment could effectively maintain the levels of alkanes, aromatic components and other volatile substances in fresh-cut cauliflower and, consequently, the odor characteristics during storage without having any adverse effect on the taste of fresh-cut cauliflower. In summary, limonene treatment can effectively inhibit the quality deterioration and extend the shelf life of fresh-cut cauliflower. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the development of preservation technologies for fresh-cut cauliflower.

Key words: limonene; fresh-cut cauliflower; storage and preservation; taste; flavor