Abstract
We investigated the effects of different concentrations (0, 1, 2 and 4 mM) of putrescine on chilling injury, fruit quality, ethylene production rate, fatty acid composition and the antioxidant system of cold-stored kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis Planch. var. chinensis ‘Hongyang’). We achieved a significant decrease in ethylene production, maintained fruit quality and alleviated chilling injury during storage via treatment with 2 mM putrescine. Furthermore, putrescine treatment inhibited increases in superoxide anion production rate and H2O2 concentration, while maintaining higher membrane lipid unsaturation as well as increased activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. In addition, putrescine treatment enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes related to the ascorbate–glutathione cycle while causing higher levels of ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione. Our results suggest that induced tolerance against chilling injury via putrescine treatment in cold-stored kiwifruit may be due to enhanced antioxidant activity, increased unsaturation of membrane lipids, and inhibited ethylene production.
Highlights
IntroductionLow temperature effectively delays fruit softening and prolongs the postharvest life of kiwifruits [2]
Kiwifruit, a climacteric fruit, softens and decays rapidly upon harvest [1]
We found a positive relationship between the first principal component and H2O2, monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), saturated fatty acid ratio, stearic acid, palmitic acid and O2Á— on the direction of the first principal component axis (Table 3)
Summary
Low temperature effectively delays fruit softening and prolongs the postharvest life of kiwifruits [2]. CI symptoms in kiwifruit are graining, water-soaking and browning in the skin and flesh, accelerated senescence and susceptibility to decay. These symptoms become more serious after fruit is transferred to room temperature. Various methods, such as gradual cooling [4], preharvest accumulation cold [5], pre-harvest spraying calcium [6] and controlled atmospheres [7], have been confirmed to alleviate CI in kiwifruit, there is still a need for identifying more effective techniques for kiwifruit storage
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