Postharvest Changes in the Nutritional Properties of Commercial and Traditional Lettuce Varieties in Relation with Overall Visual Quality

Nowadays the cultivation and consumption of traditional lettuce varieties are growing as they are particularly appealing to consumers for their diversity, and high nutraceutical quality. However, lettuce is a highly perishable product, which results in significant nutritional loss from harvest to final consumers. In this work, the content of some bioactive compounds (chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, phenols), overall antioxidant capacity and mineral content was monitored in five landraces and four commercial lettuce varieties to compare their variation during the storage period. Visual characterization was conducted during the postharvest period, as was the determination of the parameters indicative of oxidative stress, to establish the preservation capacity of their physico-chemical attributes. As a general trend, lettuce varieties showed individualized behavior during the postharvest period, which was not necessarily better in the commercial varieties compared to the landraces. Of all the varieties, landrace L10 stood out for not showing excessive variations in its general appearance or nutritional quality throughout its life cycle. However, in terms of initial concentration of bioactive compounds, the reddest varieties (CL4 and L11) stand out. These results indicate variability among varieties, which emphasizes the potential of lettuce landraces in postharvest practices.

Automated summary

The cultivation and consumption of traditional lettuce varieties are increasing due to their diversity and high nutraceutical quality. However, lettuce is perishable, resulting in significant nutritional loss during storage. This study compared the variation of bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, and mineral content in landraces and commercial lettuce varieties during the storage period. The results showed individualized behavior among lettuce varieties, with no clear advantage for commercial varieties. Landrace L10 stood out for its stable appearance and nutritional quality throughout its life cycle.