The Preharvest Application of Stress Response Elicitors Improves the Content of Bioactive Compounds without Modifying the Sensory Attributes of Butterhead Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa var. capitata )

Using stress elicitors in fruits and vegetables is considered a good strategy to increase the content of bioactive compounds in plant foods. However, bioactive compounds can affect the sensory characteristics of food products, and little is known about their shelf-life stability in fresh produce treated with elicitors. In the present work, carotenoids and polyphenols were quantified by spectrophotometric methods in red and green butterhead lettuce treated with elicitors that had previously been demonstrated to increase bioactive compounds: arachidonic acid (AA), methyl jasmonate (MJ), and Harpin protein (HP). The bioactive compounds were determined immediately and during three weeks after harvest. A descriptive sensory analysis was carried out, which included odor, taste, tactile, and visual attributes of control and elicitor-treated lettuce. Carotenoids showed greater shelf-life stability than polyphenols, and both were more stable in red than in green lettuce during the first two weeks of storage. The best elicitor was MJ, which increased phenolic compounds (red and green lettuce), anthocyanins, and carotenoids (red lettuce) through the storage period. Color intensity, crispness, wettability, and bitter taste were some of the primary sensory attributes in butterhead lettuce and were not affected by any treatment. Other organoleptic properties were also not affected by the elicitors. These results suggest that elicitation could improve the content of bioactive compounds, which is stable through the shelf-life of butterhead lettuce, without any adverse effect on the sensory properties.