Regulation of pericarp browning in cold-stored litchi fruit using methyl jasmonate

Abstract

Postharvest litchi fruit is highly perishable and vulnerable to pericarp browning (PB), which affects marketability. In this study, the effect of vacuum infiltrated methyl jasmonate (0, 1, or 2 mM) on the quality of fresh cold stored (7 ± 1 °C and RH 85–90%) litchi. The MeJA effectively reduced PB and increased storage life up to 16 d by retaining higher fruit weight, soluble solids, acidity, and anthocyanin contents. MeJA (2 mM) treated fruits maintained higher levels of phenols, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide), membrane permeability, lipid peroxidation, and quinone was downregulated. The MeJA treatment also reduced the activity of PPO and POD as well as maintained higher PAL activity with delayed PB in litchi. Therefore, the MeJA infiltration (2 mM) could be suggested to enhance the storability of litchi fruits during cold storage.