Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Space Bio-Laboratories Co., Ltd., Hiroshima, Japan.
PLoS One. 2020 Oct 15;15(10):e0240809. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240809. eCollection 2020.
The effectiveness of a simulated microgravity environment as a novel method for preserving the freshness of vegetables was investigated. Three types of vegetables were selected: vegetable soybean, mung bean sprouts, and white radish sprouts. These selected vegetables were fixed on a three-dimensional rotary gravity controller, rotated slowly. The selected vegetables were stored at 25°C and 66% of relative humidity for 9, 6, or 5 d while undergoing this process. The simulated microgravity was controlled utilizing a gravity controller around 0 m s-2. The mung bean sprouts stored for 6 d under simulated microgravity conditions maintained higher thickness levels than the vegetable samples stored under normal gravity conditions (9.8 m s-2) for the same duration. The mass of all three items decreased with time without regard to the gravity environment, though the samples stored within the simulated microgravity environment displayed significant mass retention on and after 3 d for mung bean sprout samples and 1 d for white radish sprout samples. In contrast, the mass retention effect was not observed in the vegetable soybean samples. Hence, it was confirmed that the mass retention effect of microgravity was limited to sprout vegetables. As a result of analysis harnessing a mathematical model, assuming that the majority of the mass loss is due to moisture loss, a significant difference in mass reduction coefficient occurs among mung bean sprouts and white radish sprouts due to the microgravity environment, and the mass retention effect of simulated microgravity is quantitatively evaluated utilizing mathematical models. Simulated microgravity, which varies significantly from conventional refrigeration, ethylene control, and modified atmosphere, was demonstrated effective as a novel method for preserving and maintaining the freshness of sprout vegetables. This founding will support long-term space flight missions by prolonging shelf life of sprout vegetables.
模拟微重力环境作为一种保持蔬菜新鲜度的新方法的效果进行了研究。选择了三种蔬菜：蔬菜大豆、绿豆芽和白萝卜芽。将这些选定的蔬菜固定在三维旋转重力控制器上，缓慢旋转。在这个过程中，选择的蔬菜在 25°C 和 66%相对湿度下储存 9、6 或 5 天。利用重力控制器控制模拟微重力约为 0 m s-2。在模拟微重力条件下储存 6 天的绿豆芽保持较高的厚度水平，高于在相同时间内处于正常重力条件（9.8 m s-2）下储存的蔬菜样品。所有三种物品的质量都随时间减少，而与重力环境无关，但在模拟微重力环境中储存的样品在 3 天后（绿豆芽样品）和 1 天后（白萝卜芽样品）开始显著保持质量。相比之下，在蔬菜大豆样品中没有观察到质量保持效果。因此，确认了微重力的质量保持效果仅限于芽菜。利用数学模型进行分析的结果表明，假设大部分质量损失是由于水分损失造成的，由于微重力环境，绿豆芽和白萝卜芽的质量减少系数存在显著差异，并且利用数学模型对模拟微重力的质量保持效果进行了定量评估。模拟微重力与传统冷藏、乙烯控制和改良大气显著不同，被证明是一种保持芽菜新鲜度的新方法。这一发现将通过延长芽菜的货架期来支持长期的太空飞行任务。
