Abstract:To explore the influence of vacuum pre-cooling co-treated with atomized ε-polylysine (ε-PL) on the quality of pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.), the effects of vacuum pre-cooling, vacuum pre-cooling co-treated with atomized water or ε-PL on the changes in the appearance quality, antioxidant substance, nutrient composition, and harmful substance contents of pakchoi during low temperature circulation and shelf life were analyzed. The results showed that vacuum pre-cooling alone maintained the better quality of pakchoi compared with control, but caused serious water loss and wilting of leaf surface, and the water loss rate after precooling reached 4.45%, while vacuum pre-cooling combined with atomized water group could reduce the water loss rate by 61.27%. In contrast, vacuum pre-cooling co-treated with atomized ε-PL could not only decrease the water loss caused by vacuum pre-cooling alone, but also obviously delay the yellowing degree of postharvest pakchoi. The total chlorophyll mass ratio in vacuum pre-cooling co-treated with atomized ε-PL group was 0.74g/kg at the end of shelf-life, which was 2.87,2.00, and 1.56 times higher than that of control group, vacuum pre-cooling group, and vacuum pre-cooling combined atomized water group, respectively. Moreover, vacuum pre-cooling co-treated with atomized ε-PL significantly slowed down the decrease of antioxidant such as carotenoids, ascorbic acid, folic acid, and total phenols, maintained higher levels of titratable acid, soluble sugar, and soluble protein, and effectively inhibited the accumulation of nitrite and malondialdehyde. Vacuum pre-cooling co-treated with atomized ε-PL could effectively delay the yellowing and senescence process, and maintain better nutritional quality of postharvest pakchoi.