Nutrients influence on ready to eat sweet basil quality

In this paper we report on the effects of the nutrient solution strength (single and double strength Hoagland solution) on the nutritional value and shelf life of two cultivars ('Napoletano' and 'Genovese') of hydroponically grown sweet basil. In addition, the effect of a cleaning solution (Clorata (R)) on the harvest product was studied. The commercial life of the product was assessed over a 9 days period. Variations of both the antioxidant activity and leaf nitrate and nitrite contents during the storage period were evaluated. Fresh produce quality did not vary dramatically during storage. Although the visual inspection of the packaged product did not reveal substantial alterations, the hydrophilic antioxidant activity decreased linearly during storage. In contrast, an apparent increase in lipophilic antioxidant activity was observed. Nitrate content diminished during storage. Variations of colorimetric indexes are also reported.