Effects of different storage conditions on postharvest characteristics and microbial community of lotus sprouts

Lotus sprout is a nutritious aquatic vegetable but deteriorates rapidly after harvest. This study evaluated the effects of three storage conditions on microbial count, color, texture of lotus sprouts within 12 d after harvesting, as well as investigated the microbial diversity changes and their possible effects on lotus sprouts' quality. Results showed that moderate permeability packaging (-0.5 °C) most effectively reduced microbial counts, delay browning and maintain good texture, outperforming high permeability packaging (5.0 °C) and vacuum packaging (5.0 °C). Further microbial diversity revealed that high permeability packaging (5.0 °C) promoted browning-associated microbes proliferation, while vacuum packaging (5.0 °C) promoted the proliferation of softening-associated microbes. These findings provided a practical strategy for commercial storage of lotus sprouts. Further work could systematically investigate the storage effects of temperature and packaging permeability, and elucidate the specific roles of microbes in lotus sprouts browning and softening.