STORAGE OF BROCCOLI BY MAKING THE WATER STRUCTURED -Suppression of metabolism-

The effect of structured water by dissolution of xenon was examined from the view point of the suppression of both browning and respiratory metabolism of broccoli. The structured water is formed duet to hydrophobic interaction when xenon gas dissolves into water. NMR measurements were carried out to determine proton spin-spin relaxation time, T2, for water. There was a difference in proton T2 between distilled water and structured water. This can be interpreted as the change of water structure. Fro the broccoli cut in half stored for 16 days at 279K, the section color did not change appreciably for the sample whose water was structured by dissolution of xenon whose initial partial pressure was 0.39MPa. In contrast to this, the browning of section surface was observed for the sample stored under the condition of nitrogen gas at the same partial pressure as xenon and for the sample stored under atmospheric condition . These results led to the conclusion that the suppression of b owning by oxidation was due to structured water but not to applied pressure. Adding to this, the water structured by xenon has resulted in suppression of respiratory metabolism of broccoli.