High-CO2 Treatment Prolongs the Postharvest Shelf Life of Strawberry Fruits by Reducing Decay and Cell Wall Degradation

Hyang-Lan Eum,Seung-Hyun Han,Eun-Jin Lee

doi:10.3390/foods10071649

Hyang-Lan Eum, Seung-Hyun Han + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10071649

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Abstract

Improved methods are needed to extend the shelf life of strawberry fruits. The objective of this study was to determine the postharvest physiological mechanism of high-CO2 treatment in strawberries. Harvested strawberries were stored at 10 °C after 3 h of exposure to a treatment with 30% CO2 or air. Pectin and gene expression levels related to cell wall degradation were measured to assess the high-CO2 effects on the cell wall and lipid metabolism. Strawberries subjected to high-CO2 treatment presented higher pectin content and firmness and lower decay than those of control fruits. Genes encoding cell wall-degrading enzymes (pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase, and pectate lyase) were downregulated after high-CO2 treatment. High-CO2 induced the expression of oligogalacturonides, thereby conferring defense against Botrytis cinerea in strawberry fruits, and lowering the decay incidence at seven days after its inoculation. Our findings suggest that high-CO2 treatment can maintain strawberry quality by reducing decay and cell wall degradation.

Highlights

Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) plays an essential role in agriculture
Firmness is a major index for evaluating the quality of strawberry fruits
The firmness of the strawberry fruits exposed to short-term high-CO2 treatment was slightly higher of the strawberry fruits exposed to short-term high-CO2 treatment was slightly higher than thanthat thatof ofcontrol control fruits

Summary

Introduction

CO2 enrichment is used in plant factory systems to improve yield and quality. In postharvest processes and cultivation, CO2 is used during controlled atmosphere storage or short-term high-CO2 treatment to maintain freshness and increase the shelf life of different fruit. The mechanism whereby CO2 maintains fruit freshness during the postharvest process remains unclear. High-CO2 treatment is widely applied to reduce postharvest losses in horticultural fruits, as it effectively reduces the respiration rate and fruit decay and increases firmness [1,2,3]. A short-term high-CO2 treatment of approximately 3 h increased fruit firmness with CO2 concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 kPa. Higher CO2 concentrations are usually more effective [4], but can cause physiological injuries, such as fruit discoloration and off-flavors [5]

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