Effects of pretreatment and freezing storage on the bioactive components and antioxidant activity of two kinds of celery after postharvest

Celery is well liked for it medicinal functions and nutritive value. However, fresh celery is not resistant to storage, severely limiting its supply time and marketing region. In this study, the effects of pretreatment and freezing storage on the nutritional quality of two kinds of celery (Chinese celery cultivar 'Lvlin Huangxinqin' and Western celery cultivar 'Jinnan Shiqin') after postharvest were investigated. Under all treatment combinations, 120 s blanching at 60 °C and 75 s blanching at 75 °C were the most effective pretreatments for 'Lvlin Huangxinqin' and 'Jinnan Shiqin', respectively. These two pretreatments combinations effectively delayed the decline of chlorophyll and fiber content, and maintained the level of carotenoids, soluble protein, total sugars, DPPH radical scavenging, total phenols, and vitamin C during freezing storage. These findings suggest that blanching and quick-freezing treatments are beneficial to maintain the nutritional quality of two kinds of celery, which have important reference significance for the postharvest processing of celery.