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3 carotene, carotene, - Institut, Berlin

orophylls), and and orophylls), Julius Kühn- 57, 14195 Berlin, Germany , Christian Ulrichs

1 Box 536, 20115 Egerton, ;

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30%). Moreover, film packed packed film Moreover, 30%). * 3 50. Vortragstagung, 14./15.März 2016 berlin.de

increased to 4.7%, while O while 4.7%, to increased 56% at 7 °C on day 8 and 14 of of 14 8 and day on 7 °C at 56% improvement storability of

Keil , 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany;

(PFLANZLICHE NAHRUNGSMITTEL) e.V. 2 - – , Lentzeallee 55- . Mill.) is becoming an important African African an important becoming is Mill.)

Str. 9 0%. To reduce postharvest losses and and losses postharvest reduce To 0%. -

nts cv. Olevolosi. Plants were cultivated in in cultivated were Plants Olevolosi. cv. nts areas. Inadequate postharvest handling, handling, postharvest Inadequate areas. , Arnold M. Opiyo M. , Arnold Mill.) 2 Neu

25 °C) and three weeks under greenhouse greenhouse under weeks and three 25 °C) carotene, lutein, lycopene, chl lycopene, lutein, carotene, - und- urban - ) within the packaging material was determined determined was material packaging the within ) 2 DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR QUALITÄTSFORSCHUNG : susanne.huyskens@hu- Susanne Huyskens Susanne and postharvest quality scabrum Solanum and O Email*

2 , Bernhard Trierweiler Bernhard , Solanum scabrum 1,3 Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, PO Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Life Sciences, Division Urban Plant Ecophysiology, - Institute, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Institute of Safety and Quality of Fruits and Vegetables, Haid- -

African nightshade ( nightshade African Reducing postharvest filmAfrican of packaging losses by Humboldt 3 Elisha Elisha O. Gogo nightshade ( Research Group Quality Dynamics/Postharvest Physiol Egerton University, Max Rubner 1 2

- (28 control the with compared respectively storage, β as such antioxidants of contents increased even or maintained leaves °C 20 at ereas wh storage, of 8 days for °C 7 at chlorophylls lycopene, lutein, in declined thereafter but 2 days, within increased protein and carotenoids CO of Concentration control. the to comparison throughout the study. The results obtained showed that leaf color was retained by by retained was color leaf that showed obtained results The study. the throughout leaves nightshade African of Packaging 7 °C. at pronounced more being packaging 0. and 20 °C at 1.7% being loss, weight reduced reduced to 17%, an indication of a reduced respiration rate of leaves in film package film in leaves of rate respiration a reduced of indication an 17%, to reduced using of potential provide findings The conditions. ambient with compared material extent shelf life, studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of packaging material material packaging of effect the evaluate to conducted were studies life, shelf extent promoting health as well as and nutritional storability on improving bags) Xtend® (i.e. pla nightshade African of attributes quality - (20 four weeks for chamber a climatic indigenous leafy vegetable crop (ALV) for its nutrition, health, and economic economic and health, nutrition, its for (ALV) crop vegetable leafy indigenous smallholder of and livelihood supply food secure to contributing Kenya, in importance urban/per and rural in farmers and market, the in conditions hygiene insufficient transport, and for storage facilities the of losses postharvest high causing problems these aggravate infrastructure poor 5 about comprising ALV’s perishable highly in packaged either and harvested were leaves sowing, after weeks Seven conditions. lef or (Xtend®) bags packaging atmosphere modified 14 60 and 5%) (20 ± ± 2 RH and ˚C days 8 for stored were leaves nightshade African days (7 ± 2 β (i.e. compounds plant antioxidative ˚C and RH storage. after days 14 8 and 4, 2, and harvest at 85 evaluated were content protein ± 5%). Weight (CO content Gaseous loss, color (L*a*b*), provitamin A,

Xtend® packaging materials to improve shelf life and preserve bioactive quality compounds of African nightshade plants. This could be a vital step to improve nutritional, health and economic status of developing countries such as Kenya.

Literature [1] Gogo, E.O., Opiyo, A., Ulrichs, C. and S. Huyskens-Keil 2015: Postharvest treat-ments of African leafy vegetables for food security in Kenya: A review. African Journal of Horticultural Sciences: in press

Acknowledgement: This study was conducted within the frame of the project HORTINLEA (Horticultural Innovations and Learning for Improved Nutrition and Livelihood in East ) being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development within the framework of the program GlobE – Global Food Security.

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