Influence of Cutting Styles on Antioxidant Capabilities of Fresh-Cut Cauliflower by Regulating ROS Metabolism and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity

The enzymatic browning and oxidative deterioration of cauliflower during mechanical processing are major challenges for the fresh-cut cauliflower industry. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of cutting styles on the antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut cauliflower during storage. One flower (12 × 1.8 cm) of cauliflower was designated as cutting style 1 (CS1). CS1 was cut longitudinally into strips as cutting style 2 (CS2). CS1 was also cut transversely into cubes, as cutting style 3 (CS3), and longitudinally and transversely into small cubes, as cutting style 4 (CS4). Results indicated that at the conclusion of the 72 h storage period, cutting treatments enhanced the total antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut cauliflower in the ABTS assay by 128.1%, 82.9%, 50.1%, and 38.9% for CS1, CS2, CS3, and CS4, respectively. All treatment groups except CS1 exhibited increased total antioxidant capacity in the FRAP assay. Phenolic compound accumulation increased by 106.82%, 105.24%, 270.4%, and 295.3% in CS1, CS2, CS3, and CS4, respectively. In addition, the O₂^-· scavenging activity was enhanced; the activities of antioxidant-related enzymes, including catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were also increased. In conclusion, the extent of the effect on antioxidant capacity was as follows: CS4 > CS3 > CS2 > CS1. This study has elucidated the patterns of influence exerted by cutting methods upon the quality of fresh-cut cauliflower, thereby providing theoretical foundations and empirical data to inform the selection of appropriate cutting techniques for both commercial processing and domestic culinary applications.