Some changes in postharvest physiology and activities of glutamine synthetase in broccoli head supplied with exogenous sucrose during storage

Abstract: Sugars play indispensable roles in many metabolic processes in plants. In broccoli, the level of sugars, particularly sucrose, rapidly decline few days after harvest. This study investigated the influence of exogenous application of 10% (w/v) sucrose to broccoli heads during storage at 20^oC. Hydration of the head was slowed down by sucrose treatment compared with the non-treated heads which gained weight by about 5% of the initial value at the end of the experimental period. Furthermore, sucrose application enhanced ethylene production as well as respiration rate. Glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) activity was higher in the florets of sucrose-treated heads but, like the non-treated heads, the activity continuously declined until the end of the storage period. The relatively higher GS activity during the early period of storage caused the delay of the onset of ammonia accumulation by about a day. In the branchlet portion, GS activity was higher in the sucrose-treated heads until day 2 but declined thereafter. The decline in GS activity in this portion, however, did not result to ammonia accumulation.