Abstract:

This study was conducted to explore the effect of ultraviolet (UV-C) treatment on sensory, nutritional and
physiological characteristics of cassava tubers, aiming to provide technical guidance for short-term storage and preservation
of cassava. Tubers of the cassava cultivar ‘Southern China 5’ were irradiated by 254 nm UV light for different periods and
quality characteristics of cassava tubers were determined during subsequent storage. Results showed that compared to the
control, UV-C treatment significantly delayed the drop of tuber hardness and the changes in color, retarded the increase in
total soluble solids (TSS) and starch degradation, inhibited the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), maintained the
enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and polyphenol oxidase (POD) at a high level, maintained the quality
of cassava tubers, and delayed the maturation and softening processes. Taken together, 30 min UV-C irradiation is optimal
to keep the quality of cassava, followed by 20 min UV-C irradiation, and UV-C irradiation for 10 min provides the worst
preservation of cassava quality.

Key words: cassava, ultraviolet treatment, preservation, application effect