Effects of Storage Temperature on the Long-Term Quality of Lance Asiabell Roots (Codonopsis lanceolata)

Lance asiabell roots (LAR; Codonopsis lanceolata) undergo substantial physicochemical and biochemical changes during prolonged storage, but their responses to different low-temperature conditions remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of storage temperature on the long-term quality of LAR stored at −4, −2, 0, and 4 °C for up to 5 months. Weight loss increased throughout storage and was highest at −2 °C after 5 months, whereas the lowest decay rate was observed at 0 °C. Storage at −4 °C resulted in a marked decrease in firmness and greater changes in cross-sectional color, while shoot emergence occurred only at 4 °C during the later storage period. Total phenolic content and DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities generally increased during the middle stage of storage and subsequently declined. Tangshenoside I and lobetyolin showed different temperature-dependent responses, with relatively higher tangshenoside I at 4 °C and lobetyolin at 0 and 4 °C. PCA and correlation analyses indicated that physical deterioration, internal color changes, and antioxidant-related responses were interrelated during storage. These findings provide practical information for commercial storage and distribution of LAR under different low-temperature conditions.