Kinetics of Folacin Destruction in Swiss Chard During Storage

The folacin activities in fresh Swiss chard leaves stored in open air at 4, 21, 35 and 40°C were determined by a microbiological assay using Lactobacillus casei. At 21°C the leaves were also stored in plastic bags and under moist conditions. Folacin was most stable when the vegetable was stored in plastic bags, followed by the moist condition, and least stable in open air at 21°C. The degradation of folacin in Swiss chard under all conditions followed firstorder kinetics. The temperature dependent folate degradation conformed to the Arrhenius equation and the activation energy was 24 kcal/mole.