The Influence of Hot Water and Calcium Chloride on The Changes in Color, Phenolics and Polyphenol Oxidase Activity of Mushroom During Postharvest Storage

Mushrooms undergo significant changes in quality after harvest due mainly to changes in color. This study was performed to determine the effects of CaCl2 and hot water on the changes in color, phenolics and polyphenoloxidase activities of mushrooms during storage. Mushrooms were treated with various concentrations of CaCl2 and hot water at various degrees for different time periods and stored for 12 days at 10oC. Significant changes were observed in color components during storage. Color change was associated with the increases in total soluble phenolics, esspecially increases in chlorogenic acid and polyphenol oxidase activity, suggesting that both phenolics and polyphenol oxidase contribute significantly to the browning in mushrooms. Hot water and CaCl2 treatments significantly reduced color change possibly through reductions in total soluble phenolics and the activity of polyphenol oxidase. The results suggest that CaCl2 and hot water treatments could be used to reduce color change after harvest and extend the shelf life of mushrooms