Postharvest Loquat Fruit Research Articles

Exogenous phytosulfokine α alleviates chilling injury of loquat fruit via regulating sugar, proline, polyamine and γ-aminobutyric acid metabolisms

Postharvest loquat fruit is susceptible to chilling injury (CI) under cold stress. In this study, the effects of phytosulfokine α (PSKα) on sugar, proline, polyamine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolisms in loquat fruit during cold storage were investigated. The results showed that PSKα treatment significantly increased PSKα content along with up-regulating EjPSK3 and EjPSK6 expressions, and inhibited the increases of internal browning index, electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of loquat fruit. Besides, PSKα treatment maintained higher reducing sugar, proline, polyamines, and GABA contents in loquat fruit via activating biosynthesis pathway and suppressing catabolism pathway. More importantly, the results of correlation analysis indicated that PSKα content displayed positive correlations with reducing sugar, proline, polyamines and GABA contents. These findings suggested that the improved chilling tolerance in PSKα-treated loquat fruit was due to enhancing reducing sugar, proline, polyamines, and GABA contents, which might be modulated by endogenous PSKα signaling.

Exogenous Nitric Oxide-Induced Postharvest Gray Spot Disease Resistance in Loquat Fruit and Its Possible Mechanism of Action

The effectiveness of nitric oxide (NO) for control of grey spot rot cause by Pestalotiopsis eriobotryfolia in harvested loquat fruit and its probable mechanisms have been investigated. The results showed that NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) did not evidently inhibit mycelial growth and spore germination of P. eriobotryfolia, but resulted in a low disease incidence and small lesion diameter. SNP resulted in a higher hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) level in the early stage after inoculation and a lower H2O2 level in the latter period by regulating the activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and catalase. At the same time, SNP enhanced the activities of chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, phenylalanine ammonialyase, polyphenoloxidase, and total phenolic content in loquat fruit. However, SNP treatment inhibited the activities of cell wall-modifying enzymes and the modification of cell wall components. Our results suggested that NO treatment might have potential in reducing grey spot rot of postharvest loquat fruit.

The Regulatory Mechanisms and Control Technologies of Chilling Injury and Fungal Diseases of Postharvest Loquat Fruit.

Loquat is a popular fruit widely cultivated all over the world. It is rich in minerals and carotenoids and has high commercial value. At room temperature, loquat fruit is impressionable to water and nutritional losses, physical damage, and microbial decay, resulting in a short postharvest life. Low-temperature storage is routinely used to prolong the shelf life of loquat fruit; however, cold storage can also lead to lignification of flesh tissue, which is one of the major symptoms of chilling injury (CI), reducing the quality and economic value of the fruit. In addition, fruit decay caused by microbial infection is another important reason for postharvest losses of loquat. To reduce quality deterioration and optimize the postharvest storage strategies of loquat fruit, considerable progress has been made in the physiological and molecular biological studies of CI, microbial decay, and preservation technologies of loquat fruit during the postharvest phase in recent decades. This review summarizes the current research progress and provides a reference for the improvement of loquat fruit quality.

Physiological and transcriptomics analysis of the effect of recombinant serine protease on the preservation of loquat

This study aimed to explore the effects of recombinant serine protease treatment on the development of post-harvest loquat diseases, fruit quality, and disease resistance enzyme activities. It also sought to analyze differential genes expression using RNA-seq technology. Transcriptomics analysis revealed 708 and 398 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in loquat fruits treated with serine protease for 24 and 48 h. Furthermore, 2198 DEGs were obtained between 24 and 48 h after treatment. The genes encoding JAZ, MYC2 and ERF in the plant signal transduction pathway were significantly up-regulated. The resistance-related genes, such as PPO, PAL, TLP, WRKY, and transcription factors were also significantly up-regulated. These results indicated that the recombinant serine protease can induce plant signal transduction pathway in loquat fruit. The expression of some resistance-related genes enhanced the disease resistance of loquat fruit and revealed the molecular mechanism of loquat fruit resistance induced by recombinant serine protease.

Biocontrol potential of a broad-spectrum antifungal strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B4 for postharvest loquat fruit storage

Loquat fruit is a subtropical fruit with high commercial values in the international market, but it actually has a short postharvest life due to mechanical damage and microbial decay. Until now, there exist few appropriate storage methods or biocontrol agents to control postharvest diseases and prolong storage period of postharvest loquat fruit. Recently, by comparing twelve Bacillus strains with biocontrol activity, a potential Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B4 was found to be effective in controlling various pathogens of loquat fruit. The in vivo results displayed that the active constituent in B4 exerting antifungal activity was bacterium itself, rather than metabolites. Scanning electron microscope was applied to observe the interaction between B4 and pathogens, and bacterial colonization and site occupancy on postharvest loquat fruit appeared to be one of the reasons why B4 could inhibit growth of fungal pathogens. In brief, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B4 tends to be the most broad-spectrum antifungal biological agent available so far against postharvest pathogens of loquat fruit. Furthermore, oral toxicity test results suggested Bacillus B4 is actually non-toxic, making it a really suitable biocontrol agent for postharvest loquat fruit. The treatment for loquat fruit with B4 resulted in a lower disease incidence, with only 62.5 % compared to all decayed in the untreated group 20 d after inoculation at 25 ℃. This study provides a promising biological agent to control diseases of postharvest loquat fruit and improves our understanding of the possible biocontrol mechanisms of the Bacillus strain.

Effects of exogenous calcium and calcium chelant on cold tolerance of postharvest loquat fruit

The effect of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and calcium chelant-ethylene glycol bis (2-aminoethyl ether) tetraacetic acid (EGTA) on chilling injury (CI) of postharvest loquat fruit (Eriobotrya japonica L. cv. ‘Changhong’) during cold storage was investigated. The results showed that CaCl2 treatment significantly prevented CI and maintained the membrane integrity resulting in the reduction of ion leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The exogenous calcium increased energy charge (EC) and the content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Meanwhile, CaCl2 treatment effectively enhanced the enzyme activities associated with energy metabolism including H+-adenosine triphosphatase (H+-ATPaese), Ca2+-adenosine triphosphatase (Ca2+-APTase), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), cytochrome c oxidase (CCO). Furthermore, the activities of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid synthase (P5CS), ornithine-ծ-aminotransferase (OAT), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), diamine oxidase (DAO) and polyamine oxidase (PAO) were enhanced by CaCl2 treatment, which contributed to the accumulation of osmotic substances γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), proline and polyamines (PAs). However, EGTA treatment significantly promoted CI index, increased MDA content and ion leakage. Moreover, low level of EC and GABA were also found in EGTA-treated loquat fruit. These results suggested that exogenous calcium could effectively enhance the chilling tolerance due to the high energy level and promoted accumulation of endogenous osmotic substances proline, GABA and PAs in loquat fruit.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HG01 induces resistance in loquats against anthracnose rot caused by Colletotrichum acutatum

We aimed to investigate the efficacy of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HG01 in controlling anthracnose rot caused by Colletotrichum acutatum in postharvest loquats and to explore the probable underlying mechanisms. We observed that relative to the control, HG01 treatment led to lower incidence of disease and smaller diameter of lesions. In HG01-treated loquats, it was observed that there were significant increases in total phenolic and amino acid contents; moreover, HG01-treated fruit appeared to maintain significantly higher sugar and organic acid contents in comparison with the control. Further, the treatment significantly enhanced the activities of two defense-related enzymes, namely chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase. Additionally, after HG01 treatment, the relative expression levels of the following genes were significantly increased: nonexpresser of pathogenesis-related gene, phenylalanine ammonia lyase 2, peroxidase, ethylene-insensitive 3, and mandelonitrile lyase 1. We also noted HG01 significantly inhibited the growth of C. acutatum in vitro, with an inhibition rate of 58.9%. These results suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens HG01 can effectively inhibit anthracnose rot caused by C. acutatum in postharvest loquat fruit, possibly by directly inhibiting growth of the pathogen, and indirectly inducing disease resistance in loquats.

Morphology and cell wall composition changes in lignified cells from loquat fruit during postharvest storage

Loquat, as a cold-sensitive fruit, exhibits typical lignification symptoms, such as increased firmness and lignin content, decreased juice yield and loss of fruit flavor when stored at inappropriately low temperatures. Loquat fruit with lignification symptoms contains lignified cells. This work studied the development mechanism of these cells in postharvest loquat fruit. It was found that both the staining area ratios of lignin and the densities of lignified cells had a significant correlation with the firmness and the lignin content of the bulk flesh. These results indicate that the increase of lignified cells might be an important factor in the quality deterioration of postharvest loquat fruit. To understand the mechanism of lignified cell development at the single-cell level, the distribution of lignin, cellulose, and pectin in the cell walls of lignified cells with different morphologies was visualized in a label-free way. In general, the development of the lignified cell was proposed as the thickening of cell walls until the entire intracellular cavity was filled and the cell became total solid. The results of confocal Raman microspectroscopy showed that lignin and cellulose gradually filled the lignified cells during cell development, while pectin was mainly concentrated in the cell wall corner and the middle lamella. The accumulation of lignin and cellulose in the lignified cells was the main cause of the morphological changes in lignified cells during development. The abundant chemical bond information provided by Raman spectra led to further independent distribution imaging of the functional groups of lignin during the development of lignified cells. Besides, in loquat flesh, some lignified cells in the process of development were found alone and surrounded by parenchymal cells; in other cases, some cells around the lignified cells also accumulated lignin and later became lignified cells, eventually forming several clusters of lignified cells. By analyzing the size of lignified cells and their clusters, they might not be the main reason for the rough taste of the loquat flesh with lignification. The results of this work can be an important complement to the study of the lignification process of loquat fruit during postharvest storage that is mainly carried out at the physicochemical and molecular levels.

Progress Preservation Techniques Loquat Harvest

This paper describes the major physiological changes after the loquat harvest, and the most recent year delay on postharvest technologies and principles to reduce postharvest loquat fruit quality made elaborate.

Feasibility Study on Quantitative Pixel-Level Visualization of Internal Quality at Different Cross Sections Inside Postharvest Loquat Fruit

Visualizing the quality variation inside loquat fruit at pixel level is important to deeply understand its ripening process and further optimize its preharvest planting pattern and postharvest storage strategy. Total soluble solids (TSS) is a major quality attribute of loquat fruit and detecting changes in its content can be used to monitor the ripening and postharvest senescence of loquat fruit. The refractometer method cannot provide detailed TSS distribution within loquat flesh, because the analysis focuses on measuring the mean TSS of only a flesh cube, which is used to make juice for the refractometer measurement. In this study, hyperspectral imaging was used to measure and visualize internal TSS distribution within loquat fruit. Loquat fruits with different TSS contents were selected and cut at different cross sections for imaging. Different calibration and wavelength selection algorithms were applied and compared. The uninformative variable elimination by partial least square regression model with preprocessing from spectral set I (468–1026 nm) was identified as the best model for the TSS determination of loquat flesh, which had a high prediction ability with a correlation coefficient of 0.960 and residual predictive deviation of 3.513. On the basis of the best model, the quantitative TSS distribution at different cross sections inside loquat fruit was visualized at pixel level. The results showed that hyperspectral imaging is a feasible way of visualizing the spatial changes of TSS distribution inside loquat fruit at pixel level, which would be helpful to understand the detailed TSS change inside postharvest loquat fruit.

Effect of ethanol treatment on disease resistance against anthracnose rot in postharvest loquat fruit

The effect of ethanol treatment on disease resistance against anthracnose rot in postharvest loquat fruit and its possible mechanism were investigated. Our data implied that treatment of loquat fruit with ethanol at 300μl/l significantly inhibited the anthracnose rot caused by Colletotrichum acutatum and maintained the overall quality. Ethanol treatment suppressed activities of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase while increased superoxide dismutase activity in C. acutatum-inoculated loquat fruit, thus resulting in a higher level of H2O2, which might serve as a crucial role to activate disease resistance. Meanwhile, the activities of defense-related enzymes including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase were significantly enhanced by the ethanol treatment. In addition, 300μl/l ethanol exhibited an effective antifungal activity against spore germination and mycelial growth of C. acutatum in vitro. Therefore, these results suggest that ethanol can inhibit anthracnose rot in postharvest loquat fruit, possibly via inhibiting pathogen growth directly and inducing disease resistance indirectly.

Antioxidant enzymes and fatty acid composition as related to disease resistance in postharvest loquat fruit

Two cultivars of loquat fruit were stored at 20°C for 10days to investigate the relationship between disease resistance, and fatty acid composition and activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that decay incidence increased with storage time in both cultivars. A significantly lower disease incidence was observed in ‘Qingzhong’ fruit than in ‘Fuyang’, suggesting ‘Qingzhong’ had increased disease resistance. Meanwhile, ‘Qingzhong’ fruit also had lower levels of superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide, and lower lipoxygenase activity, but higher levels of linolenic and linoleic acids and higher activities of catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) compared with ‘Fuyang’. These results suggest that the higher levels of linolenic and linoleic acids and the higher activity of CAT and APX have a role in disease resistance of postharvest loquat fruit.

EFFECTS OF SHORT-TERM N2 TREATMENT ON QUALITY OF LOQUAT FRUIT DURING COLD STORAGE

Freshly harvested loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. 'Dahongpao') fruit were exposed to 100% N 2 for 6h at 20°C and then stored at 5°C for 35 days to investigate the effect of short-term N 2 treatment on the quality of the fruit. Fruit decay rate, total soluble solids (TSS) and total titratable acidity (TA) contents, membrane permeability, malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured. The short-term N 2 treatment significantly delayed the increase of fruit decay rate and delayed the decreases of total soluble solids (TSS) and total titratable acidity (TA) contents, thereby maintaining better eating quality and extending the storage life of the fruit. The short-term N 2 treatment also markedly delayed the increases in membrane permeability, malondialdehyde (MDA) content. These results suggest that a prestorage pure N 2 treatment for 6h can effectively reduce fruit decay, delay the peroxidation of membrane lipid and maintain the quality of loquat fruit. Therefore, a short-term N 2 treatment in combination with low temperature could be a useful technique to maintain the quality of postharvest loquat fruit.

Expression of ROP/RAC GTPase genes in postharvest loquat fruit in association with senescence and cold regulated lignification

ROP/RAC GTPases regulate various development processes and play important roles in plant defense responses. Recently, lignification or secondary cell wall formation related ROP members were reported in rice, zinnia, cotton and Eucalyptus. The present study aimed to investigate the possible association of loquat ROPs with flesh lignification under different temperatures. Four ROP cDNA fragments, EjROP1.1, EjROP1.2, EjROP2 and EjROP3, were isolated from ‘Luoyangqing’ (LYQ) loquat fruit, and all of them shared over 80% nucleotide identity with known ROPs from other plants. Sequence analysis revealed that EjROP1.1, EjROP2 and EjROP3 might be functional while EjROP1.2, with mutated C-terminal resulted from a 65 bp deletion in the corresponding nucleotide sequence as compared with EjROP1.1, might be dominant-negative and consequently act as a negative regulator of ROP signal transduction. Increase in expression of EjROP1.1, EjROP2 and EjROP3 was observed during first 4 or 6 d of storage at 20 °C and was positively correlated with the increase in flesh firmness. Expression of EjROP1.2 was constantly low under 20 °C but was quickly, within 6 h, induced under 0 °C, and it increased by about 20 times within 24 h. The expression was induced under 5 °C as well but not so strong as that under 0 °C, and transfer of fruit from 5 °C to 0 °C re-stimulated the expression. The possible roles of EjROPs played during senescence and cold regulated lignification was discussed, and the simultaneous increase in the expression of three functional EjROPs and the negative regulator EjROP1.2 was suggested to be important for maintaining a ROP rheostat to protect cells from excessive lignification. To our knowledge, this is the first study on a dominant-negative ROP resulted from a deletion mutation, and a ROP responded to low temperature.

Effect of methyl jasmonate on quality and antioxidant activity of postharvest loquat fruit

AbstractBACKGOUND: Loquat fruit is rich in natural antioxidants and has shown a remarkably high antioxidant activity. To search for an effective method for maintaining or even improving antioxidant activity during postharvest storage, we investigated the effect of 10 µmol L−1 methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment on levels of major individual sugars and organic acids, total phenolics, total carotenoids, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in loquat fruit during storage at 1 °C for 35 days.RESULTS: The MeJA‐treated fruit exhibited significantly lower levels of respiration rate, ethylene production, phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and polyphenol oxidase activities, and higher levels of sugars, organic acids, total phenolics and total flavonoids than control fruit. Meanwhile, the treatment also maintained significantly higher antioxidant activity as measured by the scavenging capacity against 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, and by the reducing power test compared to the control. There was a significant positive linear relationship between total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity.CONCLUSION: MeJA treatment can improve the quality and functional properties of harvested loquat fruit by maintaining a higher level of antioxidants and enhancing antioxidant activity. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

Effect of yeast antagonist in combination with methyl jasmonate treatment on postharvest anthracnose rot of loquat fruit

The beneficial effect of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the antagonistic yeast Pichia membranefaciens for control of anthracnose rot caused by Colletotrichum acutatum in postharvest loquat fruit and the possible mechanisms were investigated. The results indicated that the biocontrol activity of P. membranefaciens at 1 × 10 8 colony-forming units ml −1 on anthracnose rot was enhanced by 10 μmol MeJA treatment. The combined treatment of P. membranefaciens with MeJA resulted in a remarkably improved control of the disease in comparison with the treatment of P. membranefaciens or MeJA alone. P. membranefaciens in combination with MeJA induced higher activities of two defense-related enzymes chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in loquat fruit than applying the yeast or MeJA alone. The in vitro experiment showed that the addition of 10 μmol l −1 MeJA to the suspensions of P. membranefaciens significantly inhibited spore germination and germ tube elongation of C. acutatum than the yeast or MeJA alone. In addition, MeJA enhanced the population of P. membranefaciens both in vitro and in the wounds of the loquat fruit. These results suggested that MeJA could improve the biocontrol activity of P. membranefaciens on anthracnose rot in loquat fruit and the improved control of the disease by MeJA is directly because of the higher inhibitory effect on pathogen growth and the increased population size of antagonist, and indirectly because of the enhanced disease resistance in loquat fruit by the combination treatment.

Methyl jasmonate reduces chilling injury and enhances antioxidant enzyme activity in postharvest loquat fruit

Loquat fruit were pre-treated with 10 μmol/l methyl jasmonate (MeJA) for 24 h at 20 °C, and then stored at 1 °C for 35 days to investigate the effect of MeJA treatment on chilling injury and changes in the antioxidant system. Loquat fruit developed chilling injury, manifested as increased fruit firmness, decreased extractable juice rate and internal browning during storage. These chilling injury symptoms were significantly reduced by MeJA treatment. MeJA also markedly delayed the increases in O 2 − production rate and H 2 O 2 content. Meanwhile, the MeJA-treated fruit exhibited significantly higher activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, and lower activity in lipoxygenase than control fruit during the storage. The ratio of unsaturated/saturated fatty acid in MeJA-treated fruit was also significantly higher than that in control fruit. These results suggest that the reduction in chilling injury by MeJA may be due to enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and higher unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio.

Improved control of anthracnose rot in loquat fruit by a combination treatment of Pichia membranifaciens with CaCl 2

The beneficial effect of 2% CaCl 2 (w/v) on the antagonistic yeast Pichia membranifaciens for control of anthracnose rot caused by Colletotrichum acutatum in postharvest loquat fruit ( Eriobotrya japonica L.) and the possible mechanisms involved were investigated. The results showed that treatment with P. membranifaciens at 1 × 10 8 CFU ml − 1 or 2% CaCl 2 alone both resulted in significantly smaller lesion diameter and lower disease incidence of anthracnose rot on loquat fruit wounds compared with the controls. The biocontrol activity of P. membranifaciens on the disease was enhanced by the addition of 2% CaCl 2, the combined treatment of P. membranifaciens with CaCl 2 resulted in a remarkably improved control of the disease in comparison with the treatment of P. membranifaciens or CaCl 2 alone. P. membranifaciens in combination with CaCl 2 induced higher activities of two defense-related enzymes chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in loquat fruit than applying the yeast or CaCl 2 alone. The in vitro experiment showed that the addition of 2% CaCl 2 in the suspensions of P. membranifaciens significantly inhibited spore germination and germ tube elongation of C. acutatum than the yeast or CaCl 2 alone. However, adding CaCl 2 did not significantly influence the population of P. membranifaciens in NYDB medium or fruit wounds. These results suggest that CaCl 2 could improve the biocontrol activity of P. membranifaciens on anthracnose rot in loquat fruit. It is postulated that the improved control of the disease is directly because of the higher inhibitory effect on pathogen growth and indirectly because of the enhanced disease resistance in loquat fruit by the combination treatment.

Effect of methyl jasmonate on the inhibition of Colletotrichum acutatum infection in loquat fruit and the possible mechanisms

The effect of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on reducing anthracnose rot caused by Colletotrichum acutatum infection in postharvest loquat fruit ( Eriobotrya japonica L. cv. Jiefangzhong) and the possible mechanisms involved were investigated. Freshly harvested loquat fruit were treated with 10 μmol/L MeJA at 20 °C for 24 h. Both the treated and the untreated fruit were artificially wounded and inoculated with Colletotrichum acutatum spore suspension (1.0 × 10 5 spores/mL) 1 day after the treatment, and then incubated at 20 °C for 6 days. Treatment of loquat fruit with MeJA resulted in significantly lower disease incidence and smaller lesion diameters than in control fruit. MeJA treatment significantly inhibited activities of catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was not significantly affected in early infection, thus resulting in a higher level of H 2O 2 in the earlier period of incubation. The enhanced H 2O 2 generation by MeJA treatment might serve as a signal to induce resistance against C. acutatum infection. However, MeJA treatment inhibited the increase in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities and lignin content, indicating that lignification is not the major defense mechanism against anthracnose rot in loquat fruit. The in vitro experiment showed that MeJA significantly inhibited spore germination, germ tube elongation and mycelial growth of C. acutatum. These results suggest that MeJA treatment can effectively inhibit anthracnose rot caused by C. acutatum in postharvest loquat fruit. It is postulated that the control of the disease is directly because of the inhibitory effect of MeJA on pathogen growth, and indirectly because of the induced disease resistance triggered by enhanced H 2O 2 levels.

Use of Modified Atmosphere Packaging with Microperforated Polypropylene Films to Maintain Postharvest Loquat Fruit Quality

Loquat fruits (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl cv. `Algerie') were stored in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), using five types of microperforated polypropylene (PP) films during 2, 4, and 6 weeks at 2 °C and for a subsequent period of 4 days at 20 °C shelf life (SL) out of the bags. Loquat fruits stored without packaging and in normal air served as control. The atmosphere composition at the steady state depended on the film permeability, ranging from 1.2 to 8.5 kPa for CO2 and from 19.5 to 13 kPa for O2 as film permeability decreased. Weight loss was drastically reduced by MAP conditions. Softening, color evolution, and decreases in sugars and organic acids were delayed, these effects also being evident after the SL period. Scores for visual aspect and facility of peeling were also higher for loquat stored in MAP than for controls. Taking into account results form all quality parameters, the most suitable atmosphere for loquat storage was found to be around 2—4 and 16—18 kPa for CO2 and O2, respectively, reached in the PA-80 and PA-60 films. In addition, the storage period for optimum loquat quality maintenance was established as 2 weeks of cold storage plus SL for control fruits, while under MAP conditions, storage periods could be extended up to 6 weeks plus SL, especially using PA-80 and PA-60 films.