Abstract
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has proved to be a multifunctional signaling molecule in plants and animals. Here, we investigated the role of H2S in the decay of fresh-cut pears (Pyrus pyrifolia). H2S gas released by sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) prolonged the shelf life of fresh-cut pear slices in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, H2S maintained higher levels of reducing sugar and soluble protein in pear slices. H2S significantly reduced the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide radicals (•O2 −) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Further investigation showed that H2S fumigation up-regulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and guaiacol peroxidase (POD), while it down-regulated those of lipoxygenase (LOX), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Furthermore, H2S fumigation effectively inhibited the growth of two fungal pathogens of pear, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium expansum, suggesting that H2S can be developed as an effective fungicide for postharvest storage. The present study implies that H2S is involved in prolonging postharvest storage of pears by acting as an antioxidant and fungicide.
Highlights
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), traditionally been thought of as poisonous gas, has proved to be a gaseous signaling molecule in animals [1,2]
The shelf life of pear slices treated with 2.0 mM NaHS was extended to 8 d, while concentrations higher than 2.0 mM showed no further positive effect
We demonstrate that the application of H2S via the donor NaHS prolongs the storage of pears at 20uC, which is a temperature to mimic the lack of cold storage in developing countries, implying that H2S acts as a regulator in the senescence of postharvest fruit
Summary
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), traditionally been thought of as poisonous gas, has proved to be a gaseous signaling molecule in animals [1,2]. Accumulating evidence unveiled its role as a gaseous regulator involved in various processes in plants, including seed germination, root organogenesis, abiotic stress tolerance, guard cell movement and autophagy [3,4,5,6,7,8]. H2S can be generated from cysteine or sulfite by the enzymatic actions of O-acetylserine (thiol) lyase or sulfite reductase respectively, further suggesting that it might act as an endogenous regulator in plants [9]. We found the role of H2S in delaying senescence of cut flowers in a wide spectrum of botanical species including herbaceous and woody plants [10]. Whether H2S is implicated in ripening and senescence of climacteric fruits remains unknown
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