Abstract
We investigated the effects of melatonin (MT) treatment on the physiological quality and cell wall metabolism of kiwifruit during a 12-day shelf life period (20 ± 1 °C, 90 ± 5% RH), after 90 days of cold storage (0 ± 0.5 °C, 90 ± 5% RH). Our results showed that MT treatment delayed kiwifruit softening, as evidence by the enhanced endurance of a healthy appearance, quality, color difference L* value, and firmness of the fruit flesh. MT treatment reduced fruit decay rate, respiration rate, and malondialdehyde content; furthermore, MT-treated kiwifruit maintained high levels of total soluble solids, titratable acid, and ascorbic acid. Additionally, MT inhibited the decrease in fruit pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose contents; it delayed the increase in water-soluble pectin content and kept pectin methyl esterase, polygalacturonase, cellulase, and β-galactosidase activities low. These results indicated that melatonin may have reduced the speed of softening of kiwifruit and preserved fruit quality by inhibiting enzymatic degradation of the cell wall, and by delaying pro-pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose degradation, as well as the increase of water-soluble pectin content. These findings indicate that MT treatment may be an effective measure to delay kiwifruit postharvest cell-wall metabolism and preserve fruit quality.
Highlights
The new red-hearted ‘Donghong’ variety of yellow kiwifruit was bred at the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
10 kiwifruits were randomly selected for freezing under liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 °C to examine MDA, protopectin, water-soluble pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose contents, and pectin methylesterase (PME), polygalacturonase (PG), cellulase and β-galactosidase activities
Kiwifruit decay rate showed an upward trend over the duration of the shelf-life experimental period (Figure 2A); the decay rate was higher in the CK group than in the MT-treated group (P < 0.05)
Summary
The new red-hearted ‘Donghong’ variety of yellow kiwifruit was bred at the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Kiwifruit is a typical after-ripening fruit that quickly ripens after harvest and even deteriorates during storage at room temperature, as evidenced by softening, dehydration‐induced shrinkage, and quality degradation observed under such conditions (Gwanpua, et al, 2018; Wang et al, 2020). Ensuring the best storage conditions to allow for longer storage periods is important to preserve the commercial value of kiwifruit. The methods most commonly used for postharvest treatment and preservation of kiwifruit quality include: controlled-atmosphere storage (Daş et al, 2006), ozone (Lone et al, 2019), 1-MCP (Boquete et al, 2004), and plant-extract treatments (Pan et al, 2019). More effective techniques are urgently needed to extend the shelf life of kiwifruit
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