Abstract
Citrus fruit is rich in phenolic compounds, which possess several health benefits. However, few studies have focused on the changes of phenolic compounds in these fruit during postharvest storage. In this study, the phenolic content, components and antioxidant activity of Tarocco blood oranges have been dynamically monitored during 12-week cold storage and on-tree storage. The alteration mechanism of phenolic compounds in blood oranges was investigated by evaluating phenylpropanoid pathway-related enzymes activities and genes expression. Results showed that flavanones were the main phenolic compound in the blood oranges, and both storage methods mainly stimulated the accumulation of phenolic acids to improve total phenolic content and reach the maximum content at week 12. Nonetheless, blood oranges had a higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity under on-tree storage than cold storage. Furthermore, the enzyme activities and gene expression to phenylpropanoid pathway demonstrated that the accumulation of phenolics in blood oranges during storage was highly related to the activation of the phenylpropanoid pathway. These results demonstrate that on-tree storage is a potential approach for extending the supply period of blood orange from the perspective of phenolic compounds.
Published Version
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