Anthocyanins Double the Shelf Life of Tomatoes by Delaying Overripening and Reducing Susceptibility to Gray Mold

Yang Zhang,Eugenio Butelli,Rosalba De Stefano,Henk-Jan Schoonbeek,Andreas Magusin,Chiara Pagliarani,Nikolaus Wellner,Lionel Hill,Diego Orzaez,Antonio Granell,Jonathan D.G Jones,Cathie Martin

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.04.072

Abstract

SummaryShelf life is an important quality trait for many fruit, including tomatoes. We report that enrichment of anthocyanin, a natural pigment, in tomatoes can significantly extend shelf life. Processes late in ripening are suppressed by anthocyanin accumulation, and susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea, one of the most important postharvest pathogens, is reduced in purple tomato fruit. We show that reduced susceptibility to B. cinerea is dependent specifically on the accumulation of anthocyanins, which alter the spreading of the ROS burst during infection. The increased antioxidant capacity of purple fruit likely slows the processes of overripening. Enhancing the levels of natural antioxidants in tomato provides a novel strategy for extending shelf life by genetic engineering or conventional breeding.

Highlights

We report that enrichment of anthocyanin, a natural pigment, in tomatoes can significantly extend shelf life
We show that reduced susceptibility to B. cinerea is dependent on the accumulation of anthocyanins, which alter the spreading of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst during infection
Enhancing the levels of natural antioxidants in tomato provides a novel strategy for extending shelf life by genetic engineering or conventional breeding

Summary

Introduction

Processes late in ripening are suppressed by anthocyanin accumulation, and susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea, one of the most important postharvest pathogens, is reduced in purple tomato fruit. These results indicated that expression of Del and Ros1 can more than double the shelf life of tomato fruit (Figure 1C).

Results

Conclusion