Interactive effects of abscisic acid and nitric oxide on chilling resistance and active oxygen metabolism in peach fruit during cold storage.

Abstract

Cold conditions can accelerate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and excessive ROS may attack biological macromolecules, disrupt related signal pathways, induce oxidative stress and influence plant metabolism. The cross-talk between nitric oxide (NO) and abscisic acid (ABA) and the inhibitions by NO or ABA on oxidative damage have been reported in fruits. However, there are few reports about the roles of NO-ABA interactions in chilling stress and antioxidant defense in fruits during cold storage. This study was conducted to investigate the roles of NO, ABA and interactions between NO and ABA in response to chilling stress on peach fruit (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, cv. 'Xintaihong'). Treatments with 15 µmol L-1 NO, 100 µmol L-1 ABA and 15 µmol L-1 NO + 5mmol L-1 sodium tungstate solution could reduce ROS content, alleviate lipid peroxidation and enhance antioxidant enzyme activities and antioxidant capacities. However, treatments with 5µmol L-1 potassium 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (c-PTIO), 5mmol L-1 sodium tungstate and 100 µmol L-1 ABA + 5µmol L-1 c-PTIO differentially blocked these protective effects and significantly increased ROS content and lipid peroxidation of peaches under low-temperature conditions. Application of exogenous ABA could increase the resistance to cold-induced oxidative stress by enhancing the efficiency of enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems, which were partially mediated by NO. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.