Postharvest Salicylic Acid Treatment Research Articles

Preharvest Foliar Spraying Combined with Postharvest Salicylic Acid Treatment Regulates Panzao (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. ‘Jingcang1’) Fruit Quality and Softening during Storage

Panzao (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. ‘Jingcang1’) have a short shelf-life, which hampers their marketability. To investigate effects of combined pre- and postharvest treatments on quality and softening during storage, preharvest Guomantian foliar fertilizer (FF) spray and postharvest salicylic acid (SA) dip were applied to panzao. By day 63 of storage, fruit firmness responded to treatment in the order of FF+SA treatment > FF or SA treatments > Control. All treatments inhibited fruit reddening during storage and, compared with those of the control, alleviated the decline in total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, and phenol contents and decreased the oxidative aging process, which was consistent with the change in firmness. The FF+SA treatment reduced the activities of amylase, cellulase, polygalacturonase, and β-glucosidase, which decreased the degradation of macromolecules including starch, cellulose, and pectin. Principal component analysis showed that FF+SA exhibited a synergistic effect and was the most effective treatment for maintaining fruit quality during storage. FF increased accumulation of nutrients during growth and improved quality, while SA delayed the decline in fruit quality and reduced softening. These results provide the theoretical basis and technical knowledge for improving the shelf-life of panzao during storage and long-distance transportation.

Alleviatory effects of salicylic acid on postharvest softening and cell wall degradation of 'Jinshayou' pummelo (Citrus maxima Merr.): A comparative physiological and transcriptomic analysis.

The regulatory mechanisms underlying the salicylic acid (SA)-mediated inhibition of senescence in pummelo fruit, the largest known citrus variety, remain unclear. Herein, postharvest 0.3% SA treatment was demonstrated to delay postharvest 'Jinshayou' pummelo senescence, as evidenced by the inhibitions in firmness loss, electrolyte leakage increase, and color change. Using comparative transcriptomic data, a total of 4367, 3769, and 1659 DEGs were identified between CK0 and CK60, CK0 and SA60, and CK60 and SA60, respectively. Further GO analysis revealed that DEGs were mainly implicated in the processes of cell wall modification and phenylpropanoid pathway during fruit senescence. More importantly, postharvest exogenous 0.3% SA treatment was observed to inhibit CWDEs activities and their encoding gene expression, retain higher protopectin, cellulose, and hemicelluloses contents, as well as reduce WSP content, thus maintaining cell wall structure. These findings collectively indicated that postharvest SA treatment was a green and useful preservative for alleviating fruit senescence and prolonging the storage life of harvested 'Jiashayou' pummelo fruit.

Response of Antioxidant System to Postharvest Salicylic Acid Treatment in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Fruit Stored at Ambient Temperature

Response of Antioxidant System to Postharvest Salicylic Acid Treatment in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Fruit Stored at Ambient Temperature

Postharvest Salicylic Acid Treatment Affects Weight Loss, Spoilage and Biochemical Attributes of Bartlett Pear Fruits

The present study aimed to determine the effect of postharvest salicylic acid (SA) treatments on storability and biochemical quality of Bartlett pear fruits at ambient storage conditions. Freshly harvested fruits were treated with salicylic acid solution at 0 (control), 0.5, 1 or 2 mM and fruits were stored at ambient conditions (room temperature) for 21 days storage studies. Data on physiological loss in weight (PLW), fruit spoilage and biochemical quality of fruits (total soluble soils, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, reducing and total sugars) were recorded. Results revealed that the salicylic acid treatments significantly minimized the PLW and fruit spoilage. At 21 days of storage at ambient conditions, the lowest PLW (13.76 %) and fruit spoilage (21.70 %) was noted with SA at 2 mM. All three SA treatments effectively retained the biochemical attributes of fruits i.e. total soluble soils, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, reducing and total sugars as compared to control fruits. In conclusion, Salicylic acid at 2 mM treatment to the Bartlett pear fruits after harvest can be useful in minimizing the PLW and fruit spoilage and also maintaining the biochemical quality of fruits during ambient storage conditions.

Postharvest Salicylic Acid Application Affects the Biochemical Quality and Stability of Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cv. Chandler Fruits under Ambient Storage Conditions

The present study aimed to determine the effect of postharvest salicylic acid (SA) application on storability and biochemical quality of strawberry fruits cv. Chandler under ambient storage conditions. Freshly harvested fruits were subjected to salicylic acid treatment at 0 (control), 0.5, 1 or 2 mM and fruits were stored at room temperature for 6 days storage studies. Data on physiological loss in weight (PLW), fruit spoilage and biochemical quality of fruits (total soluble soils, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, reducing and total sugars) were recorded. Results showed that postharvest salicylic acid treatment significantly minimized the PLW and fruit spoilage. At 6 days of storage, the lowest PLW (14.43 %) and fruit spoilage (21.70 %) was observed with SA at 2 mM. All the salicylic acid treatments were effective in retaining the biochemical quality of fruit (total soluble soils, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, reducing and total sugars). In conclusion, Salicylic acid at 2 mM treatment of strawberry fruits after harvest can be useful in minimizing PLW and fruit spoilage and also maintaining the biochemical quality of fruits during ambient storage conditions.

Enhancement of Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Mango Fruit by Pre- and Postharvest Application of Salicylic Acid

Mango fruits have a high nutritional value and are beneficial to health. However, losses frequently occur after harvest, because they are perishable. Salicylic acid (SA) can be used to preserve fruit quality and maintain their nutritional contents. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of applications of 2 mM SA on the physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of mango fruit. For this purpose, mango fruits received preharvest (Pre SA) or postharvest applications of SA (Post SA), or their combination (Pre + Post SA); the fruits were stored at 13 °C for 20 days. Weight loss, decay, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were maintained in SA-treated fruit. The Pre + Post SA treatment was superior in delaying fruit ripening, and maintaining lower soluble solids contents and higher total acidity. In addition, total phenolic compounds, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and free radical scavenging activity of anti-inflammatory substances (such as nitric oxide), as well as hyaluronidase inhibition, were higher in the Pre + Post SA treatment throughout storage. Therefore, both pre- and postharvest SA treatments are recommended for preserving the quality of mango fruit, such as Nam Dok Mai Si Thong, and for maintaining their nutritional properties for human health.

Salicylic Acid Treatment Reduces Lipid Peroxidation and Chlorophyll Degradation and Preserves Quality Attributes of Pointed Gourd Fruit

The marketability of pointed gourd fruit is drastically reduced after harvest due to moisture loss, chlorophyll degradation, yellowing of the skin, and shriveling. The present investigation studied the effect of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) treatment on senescence and fruit quality attributes of pointed gourd during storage under ambient conditions. Fruits were treated by immersing them in different concentrations of SA (1.0 mM, 2.0 mM, and 3.0 mM) and distilled water (control) for 5 minutes. The investigation showed beneficial effects of 3.0 mM SA treatment in lowering weight loss (16.8%), maintaining higher chlorophyll (32.8%) in the skin, and reducing lipid peroxidation (20.2%) compared to the control. SA (3.0 mM)-treated fruits retained 15.3% higher ascorbic acid and about 18% higher total phenol, flavonoids, and radical scavenging activity over pointed gourd fruits in the control group. However, significant difference in the total antioxidant capacity after 6 days of storage was not noted between SA-treated and control fruit. Thus, postharvest salicylic acid treatment can beneficially be used to extend marketability and delay quality deterioration of pointed gourd fruits stored under ambient conditions.

Combined Effects of MAP and Postharvest Salicylic Acid Treatment on Quality Attributes of Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) Bunches during Storage

The effects of combinations of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) with salicylic acid (SA) treatment on storage and shelf life quality of dill (Anethum graveolens L. cv. Asder) leaves were investigated. After harvest, dill leaves were dipped into an aqueous solution containing different concentrations of salicylic acid (1, 2 and 4 mM) for 2 minutes. The control group was immersed in distilled water only for 2 minutes. Treated samples were dried with blotting paper and placed in modified atmosphere package and stored at 0 ºC and 90±5% relative humidity (RH) conditions for 25 days. After cold storage, dill leaves were kept at 10 ºC and 55-60% RH for 2 days to simulate commercial practice (shelf life), and analyzed for same quality parameters performed during cold storage. Weight loss, color, respiration rate, gas composition in package, soluble solids content (SSC) and ascorbic acid content were determined initially and at 5 dayintervals. The dill bunches were also evaluated for visual quality during storage period. According to the results, SA treatment allowed dill leaves to stay green longer than those of control group. 1 mM concentration of SA was the best treatment for prolonging the storage life of dill leaves with keeping the quality.

Contribution of GABA shunt to chilling tolerance in anthurium cut flowers in response to postharvest salicylic acid treatment

Due to the sensitivity of anthurium flowers to chilling injury (CI), its favorable temperature storage is 12.5–20°C. There is evidence that maintaining the functional γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt pathway is crucial for tolerance to postharvest chilling stress by providing energy (ATP) and reducing molecule (NADH) and minimizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. In this experiment, the impact of salicylic acid (SA) treatment applied by postharvest stem-end dipping (2mM, 15min at 20°C) on GABA shunt pathway activity of anthurium cut flowers (cv. Sirion) storage at 4°C for 21days were investigated. The anthurium cut flowers in response to 2mM SA treatment displayed significantly higher GABA transaminase (GABA-T) activity during storage at 4°C for 21days, which coincided with lower GABA content, leading to flowers with lower spathe browning. SA treatment enhanced GABA shunt pathway activity, by enhancing GABA-T activity, during storage at 4°C, lead to consumption of GABA for providing sufficient ATP content associated with the lower H2O2 content. Also, anthurium cut flowers in response to SA treatment displayed significantly higher unsaturated/saturated fatty acids (unSFA/SFA) ratio, which can be results not only from higher energy content but also from lower phospholipase D (PLD) and lipoxygenase (LOX) activities. These findings showed that SA treatment at 2mM maintained functional GABA shunt pathway activity which leads to providing higher ATP, lower H2O2 accumulation, higher unSFA/SFA ratio, proposed that the SA can be applied as an effective procedure for improving anthurium cut flowers tolerance to postharvest chilling stress, by enhancing membrane fluidity.

Extending Postharvest Longevity and Improving Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria Ananasa Duch Cv. ‘Gaviota’) Fruit by Postharvest Salicylic Acid Treatment

Strawberries are an extremely perishable fruit mainly due to their soft texture and sensitivity to fungal infection. Postharvest application of conventional fungicides to fruits is prohibited. As an alternative to fungicides, salicylic acid has been found to enhance disease resistance of horticultural crops. In order to study the effect of salicylic acid as a phenolic compound on the postharvest durability and quality characteristics of strawberry fruit. ‘Gaviota’ strawberries were treated with SA at different concentrations (0, 25, 50 and 100 µlL-1), then stored for 12 days at 4 ˚C and 75 % RH in darkness. Two different methods were applied (spray SA on fruits and paper disk method). Quality attributes such as weight loss, pH, TA, TSS, vitamin C, anthocyanin, calcium, pectin, CAT, POD, PG activity, decay percentage and sensory analyses evaluated every 3 days during storage. Results showed that, treated fruits with SA had lower weight loss, pH, TSS, POD, PG, decay and higher TA, vitamin C, anthocyanin, calcium, pectin, CAT and fruit quality compared with controls. Between two methods of treatment, paper disk method had higher effect on fruit decay and quality compared to spray method and as a general result, caused longer storability.

Biochemical and proteomic analysis of grape berries (Vitis labruscana) during cold storage upon postharvest salicylic acid treatment.

Salicylic acid (SA) treatment has been widely used to maintain fruit quality during postharvest storage. To elucidate the molecular mechanism related to this treatment, the effect of SA treatment on fruit quality as well as protein expression profiles of grape berries (Vitis labruscana cv. Kyoho) during the subsequent cold storage was evaluated. As expected, SA treatment inhibited postharvest loss and chilling damage by reducing fruit softening and membrane damage and slowing weight loss. A gel-based proteomic approach was designed to screen for differentially expressed proteins in SA-treated and control grape berries. A total of 69 differentially accumulated proteins were successfully identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, which can be functionally classified into eight categories. Among these proteins, antioxidant enzymes including ascorbate peroxidase, oxidoreductase, and glutathione S-transferase were induced, and the abundances of several defense-related proteins, such as heat shock protein (HSP) and temperature-induced lipocalin, were up-regulated by SA treatment. In addition, proteins involved in carbohydrate catabolism and energy production were also induced by SA treatment. Interpretation of the data for differential accumulation of proteins revealed that the effect of SA on reducing postharvest losses and chilling damage of grape berries during cold storage may be due to activated defense responses and carbohydrate metabolism and higher levels of energy status.

Improving the Keeping Quality and Vase Life of Cut Alstroemeria Flowers by Pre and Post-harvest Salicylic Acid Treatments

Keeping quality and length of vase life are important factors for evaluation of cut flowers quality, for both domestic and export markets. Studding the effect of pre- and post-harvest salicylic acid applications on keeping quality and vase life of cut alstroemeria flowers during vase period is the approach taken. Aqueous solutions of salicylic acid at 0.0 (with distilled water), 1, 2 and 3 mM were sprayed to run-off (approximately 500 mL per plant), about two weeks before flowers harvest. The cut flowers were harvested in the early morning and both of cut flowers treated (sprayed) and untreated were kept in vase solutions containing salicylic acid at 0.0 (with distilled water), 1, 2 and 3 mM. Sucrose at 4% was added to all treatments as a base solution. The changes in relative fresh weight, water uptake, water loss, water balance, total chlorophyll content and vase life were estimated during vase period. The results showed that the relative fresh weight, water uptake, water balance, total chlorophyll content and vase life decreased significantly while the water loss increased significantly during experiment for all treatments. A significant difference between salicylic acid and control treatments in all measured parameters is observed. During vase period, the salicylic acid treatments maintained significantly a more favourable relative fresh weight, water uptake, water balance, total chlorophyll content and supressed significantly water loss, as compared to control treatment. Also, the results showed that the using salicylic acid increased significantly the vase life cut alstroemeria flowers, over control. The highest values of measured parameters were found when plants were treated by pre + post-harvest application of salicylic acid at 3 mM. The result revealed that the quality attributes and vase life of cut alstroemeria flowers were improved by the use of salicylic acid treatment.

Effect of postharvest salicylic acid treatment on fungal decay and some postharvest quality factors of kiwi fruit

The effect of salicylic acid (SA) treatment at different concentrations on fungal decay and some quality factors of kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa var. Hayward) in postharvest conditions were studied. Results experiment showed that SA at all applied concentrations inhibited grey mould growth. The SA application significantly decreased weight loss percentage and increased life storage fruits. Also, SA positively affected on postharvest quality factors including total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), antioxidant, ascorbic acid and pH value. It was observed that treated fruits with SA at concentration 5 mM had the highest TSS, TA, ascorbic acid and antioxidant content and it had the lowest decay and acidity. Thus, these results showed that SA has strong impact on postharvest decay and fruit quality of kiwi fruit.

Postharvest salicylic acid treatment reduces storage rots in water-stressed but not unstressed sugarbeet roots

Exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA) reduces storage rots in a number of postharvest crops. SA's ability to protect sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) taproots from common storage rot pathogens, however, is unknown. To determine the potential of SA to reduce storage losses caused by three common causal organisms of sugarbeet storage rot, freshly harvested roots were treated with 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 or 10mM SA, inoculated with Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium claviforme, or Phoma betae, and evaluated for the severity of rot symptoms after incubation at 20°C and 90% relative humidity. Roots were obtained from plants that received sufficient water or were water-stressed prior to harvest. Roots from water-stressed plants were included since water-stress increases sugarbeet root susceptibility to storage rot and SA mitigates drought effects in other plant species. SA at concentrations of 0.01–10mM had no effect on the severity of storage rot caused by B. cinerea, P. claviforme, or P. betae in roots from plants that received sufficient water prior to harvest. However, SA at these same concentrations reduced the severity of rot symptoms for all three pathogens in roots from plants that were water stressed before harvest. For water-stressed roots, all concentrations of SA produced statistically equivalent reductions in the weight of rotted tissue for each pathogen, and on average, SA reduced rot severity due to B. cinerea, P. claviforme, and P. betae by 54, 45, and 58%, respectively. SA reduced rot from all three pathogens by reducing lesion size, but did not affect the incidence of infection. The ability of SA to reduce rot severity in water-stressed roots, but not in roots that received sufficient water before harvest suggests that SA alleviated the negative impact of water stress but did not directly protect sugarbeet roots against storage rots.

Postharvest salicylic acid treatment enhances antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruit

In order to enhance postharvest antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruits, the effects of treatment with 0 (control), 1 and 2mM salicylic acid (SA) on total phenols (TP), flavonoids (TF), anthocyanins (TA), ascorbic acid (AA) contents, DPPH scavenging activity (TAA) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme activity were investigated in fruits stored at 4°C for 21 days. The DPPH scavenging activity of the cornelian cherry fruits was significantly increased by SA treatment. In addition, fruits treated with SA exhibited significantly higher total phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and ascorbic acid contents, and higher PAL enzyme activity. These results suggested that SA treatment might be a powerful strategy to enhance antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruits. In addition, these results suggested that enhanced antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruits treated with SA might be due to the stimulation of PAL enzyme activity and thus triggering the phenylpropanoid–flavonoids pathways.

Pre- and post-harvest salicylic acid treatments alleviate internal browning and maintain quality of winter pineapple fruit

The post-harvest internal browning (IB) and quality in pineapple ( Ananas comosus L. ‘Comte de Paris’) fruit were studied in relation to pre-harvest salicylic acid (SA) spray (PSS) or/and post-harvest salicylic acid immersion (PSI) treatments at 10 °C for up to 20 days plus 2 days at 20 °C (shelf-life). In addition, the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) were measured during cold storage. The results showed that all SA treatments significantly reduced IB incidence and intensity. Furthermore, SA did not affect soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and total phenolics (TP) content, but delayed the decline of ascorbic acid (AsA) content. At the same time, SA significantly inhibited PPO and PAL activities. The study indicated the beneficial effect of SA by pre-harvest spray and/or post-harvest immersion on pineapple fruit quality and resistance to IB, and PSS + PSI treatment showed the best effect.

Effects of post-harvest salicylic acid treatment on fruit quality and anti-oxidant metabolism in pineapple during cold storage

SummaryPineapple (Ananas comosus L. ‘Comte de Paris’) fruit at commercial maturity (180 fruit per treatment, three replicates) were immersed in 0, 1.0, 3.0, or 5.0 mM salicylic acid (SA) for 15 min, then stored at 10ºC and 90% relative humidity (RH) for 20 d. After 20 d in cold storage, they were moved to 20ºC for 2 d to simulate shelf-life. Physiological and biochemical responses were studied. The results showed that the 3.0 or 5.0 mM SA treatments lowered the internal browning (IB) index, while the 5.0 mM SA treatment decreased the soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), and soluble sugar content, but increased ascorbic acid (AsA) levels at the end of shelf-life. Furthermore, during cold storage, all SA treatments significantly decreased the rate of tissue respiration in pineapple fruit. SA at 5.0 mM significantly decreased the activities of peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), but increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) compared with the non-SA treated (untreated) controls. Overall, these results indicate that post-harvest treatment with 5.0 mM SA delayed the occurrence of IB in pineapple, extended its shelf-life, and maintained fruit quality during cold storage.