Page 39 - CSHS 2022 Book of Abstracts - 2022-08-22 web version

CSHS 2022 Conference

(VO.8) Mushroom waste-derived antioxidants for use as postharvest preservatives for edible
horticulture
Dhanya Sivakumar*, Gale G. Bozzo
Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON
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A large proportion of Canadian horticultural production, including mushrooms, is lost with cultivation and
postharvest handling. Previous studies have demonstrated that application of naturally-derived antioxidants can
prolong the shelf life of highly perishable meat and plant products. Mushrooms are an excellent source of
antioxidants, such as glutathione and ergothioneine. It is postulated that unmarketable mushrooms and cultivation
waste is also a rich source of these antioxidants. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array
detection is being used to analyze ergothioneine concentrations in freshly harvested culinary mushroom fruiting
bodies as well as that present in low grades and waste remaining from the cultivation process. Mushrooms analyzed
include white button (Agaricus bisporus), gray oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) and shiitake (Lentinula edodes).
Glutathione and/or ergothioneine derived from optimal sources of mushroom waste will be applied to fresh
mushrooms at varying doses and exposure times to determine which treatments are optimal for preservation of
mushroom quality. Treated mushrooms will be sampled periodically for quality indicators such as fresh weight,
water content, surface colouration and firmness. The research findings will establish whether food waste-derived
antioxidants effectively limit deterioration and food quality loss during postharvest storage as a strategy to extend
the shelf life of mushrooms and other edible horticulture.

(VO.9) Optimizing environment conditions for year-round production of ostrich fern fiddleheads
in high density systems
Rosemary Brockett*, Thomas Graham, Robert Prange, Mike Dixon
School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON
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Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro) fiddleheads are a highly nutritious wild vegetable native to
Eastern Canada and have considerable untapped potential as a nutrient rich crop in high density production
systems. To succeed with indoor production in advanced greenhouses, the best environment conditions, from light
intensity and spectrum to CO2 concentrations and temperature, need to be established. Experiments on each of
these environment parameters were completed using advanced controlled environment growth chambers at the
Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, U. of Guelph. Photosynthetic gas exchange or net carbon
exchange rate ((NCER) was measured under tightly controlled and programed sequences of environment
conditions. Conventional “light curve” analyses exhibited a threshold for optimal productivity. Temperature also
exhibited an interaction with light intensity and CO2 concentration. These results start to build the environment
control “recipe” for high density fiddlehead production

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