Maturity‐dependent chilling tolerance regulated by the antioxidative capacity in postharvest cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruits

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to reveal the effect of fruit maturity on the chilling tolerance of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruit and the oxidative and antioxidative mechanisms involved. Chinese mini‐cucumber (cv. Hangcui‐1) fruits were harvested at four developmental stages: Immature (3–8 days after anthesis (DAA)), Mature (9–16 DAA), Breaker (17–22 DAA) and Yellow (35–40 DAA). All fruits were stored at 2 °C for 9 days and rewarmed at 20 °C for 2 days. RESULTS: The chilling injury index declined with advancing fruit maturity. High superoxide anion radical production rate and hydrogen peroxide content were observed in Immature fruits after cold storage and rewarming. Under chilling stress, superoxide dismutase showed an early response. Fruits at earlier maturity stages exhibited higher catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and monodehydroascorbate reductase activities and glutathione content as well as its redox state, and lower peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase and glutathione reductase activities and ascorbate content as well as its redox state. CONCLUSION: Fruits at the earlier developmental stage are more susceptible to chilling injury, which is related to increased oxidative stress. High peroxidase activity and ascorbate content and maintenance of the latter's redox state appear critical to the chilling tolerance of cucumber fruits at later developmental stages. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of cold‐shock treatment on chilling injury in mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. ‘Wacheng’) fruit

To investigate how cold shock may affect chilling injury in mango fruit (Mangifera indica L. cv. ‘Wacheng’), the fruit were treated for 3, 4 or 5 h at 0 °C, or treated for 8, 10 or 12 h at 4 °C, respectively, then transferred to 20 °C for 20 h prior to being stored at 2 °C, 85–95% RH. The chilling injury index of mango treated at 0 °C for 4 h was 59.7% lower than that of the control fruit directly stored at 2 °C, 85–95% RH. Some attributes were assayed in the fruit treated at 0 °C for 4 h. Ion leakage of the cold‐shock fruit at 0 °C for 4 h was 16% or 10% lower than that of the control on day 9 or day 12 of storage, respectively. Malondialdehyde content of the cold‐shocked fruit was 70% or 50% lower than that of the control on day 6 or day 12 of storage at 2 °C, respectively. Activities of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and contents of glutathione and phenolic compounds in the fruit during storage were all markedly enhanced by the cold‐shock treatment, whereas activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase and content of ascorbic acid in the mango were slightly influenced by the cold‐shock treatment. These results suggest that cold‐shock treatment may hold promise as an alternative approach to reduce chilling injury in mango fruit during cold storage. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

采收成熟度对台农芒果贮藏品质的影响

研究了60%和80%2种采收成熟度对不同后熟条件下(自然成熟、促进成熟和抑制成熟)台农芒果贮藏品质的影响。结果表明:与对照(自然成熟)相比,使用乙烯利处理台农芒果果实,加速了2种成熟度果实的成熟进程,而使用热处理结合乙烯吸收剂处理则具有明显的延缓病害发生和果实软化,抑制可溶性糖积累、有机酸和Vc降解的作用。在同一种后熟条件下(自然成熟、促进成熟和抑制成熟的任何一种),60%成熟度的果实其品质变化慢于80%成熟度的果实,但其风味品质却差于80%成熟度的果实。     

Low‐temperature conditioning combined with methyl jasmonate treatment reduces chilling injury of peach fruit

BACKGROUND: Peaches are sensitive to low temperature and develop chilling injury (CI) symptoms during refrigerated storage. This CI reduces consumer acceptance of peaches and limits the potential postharvest market life of the fruit. To develop a suitable technique to reduce CI, the effect of a combination of low‐temperature conditioning (LTC) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) treatment on CI of peach fruit was investigated in this study. RESULTS: Freshly harvested firm‐mature peaches were treated with a combination of LTC at 10 or 20 °C and 1 µmol L^?1 MJ and then stored at 0 °C for 5 weeks. The fruits developed CI during storage, manifested as internal browning and flesh mealiness. The combined treatment significantly reduced these CI symptoms and maintained higher fruit quality. The activities of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase were significantly inhibited while those of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase were induced by the combined treatment. In addition, the activities of phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and polygalacturonase and the level of total phenolics were enhanced by the combined treatment. CONCLUSION: The combination of LTC and MJ treatment could be a useful technique to reduce CI and maintain quality in peach fruit during cold storage. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

High‐temperature conditioning induces chilling tolerance in mandarin fruit: a cell wall approach

BACKGROUND: High‐temperature conditioning (3 days at 37 °C and 95% relative humidity), which protects ‘Fortune’ mandarins from chilling injury (CI), manifested as pitting in the outer part of the peel (flavedo), was applied prior to cold storage (2 °C) in order to investigate the involvement of cell wall composition in the chilling tolerance of mandarins. RESULTS: Both low‐temperature storage and high‐temperature conditioning barely modified the alcohol‐insoluble substance (AIS) content or the degree of pectin esterification in the flavedo. Water‐soluble pectins (WSP) were higher in heat‐conditioned than in non‐conditioned fruits at the onset of CI. In addition, the heat‐conditioning treatment was able to increase chelator‐soluble pectins (CSP) after short cold storage periods. Covalently bound polyuronides in alkali‐soluble pectins (ASP) increased only in fruits with high incidence of CI. Cellulose and hemicellulose increased at 2 °C in both conditioned and non‐conditioned fruits, indicating that these polysaccharides may be altered by low temperature but are not related to chilling‐induced damage. CONCLUSION: High‐temperature conditioning may reduce chilling‐induced flavedo pitting in ‘Fortune’ mandarin fruit by maintaining normal levels of WSP and increasing putative sites for calcium bridge formation within the cell wall, but not by inducing changes in other matrix cell wall components. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

甜型蓝莓酒的研制及抗氧化能力的评价

通过正交实验对甜型蓝莓酒的发酵工艺进行了优化,最佳工艺参数为:发酵温度24℃,加糖量15%,酵母添加量0.15%。再经陈酿、澄清处理得到风味独特的蓝莓甜酒,成品酒精度16.0%(vol),总糖≥65g/L,总酸6～8g/L。采用FeCl3/K3Fe(CN)6还原力测定体系分析维生素C和葡萄酒样的抗氧化能力,结果显示蓝莓甜酒的还原能力高。     

Sugar metabolism in relation to chilling tolerance of loquat fruit

The relationship between chilling injury and sugar metabolism was investigated in loquat fruit stored at 1 °C for 35 days. No symptoms of chilling injury occurred in the fruit, of ‘Ninghaibai’ cultivar, during the whole storage whereas, in ‘Dahongpao’ fruit, severe chilling symptoms were observed after 20 days of storage at 1 °C. ‘Ninghaibai’ fruit had higher levels of glucose and fructose and higher activities of sucrose hydrolyzing enzymes, such as sucrose synthase-cleavage and invertase, than had ‘Dahongpao’. Furthermore, the chilling resistant ‘Ninghaibai’ fruit also showed higher activities of hexokinase and fructokinase, involved in hexose phoshorylation and sugar signal generation. These results suggest that the higher content of hexoses and activities of hexose sensors were likely part of the mechanism for chilling tolerance of loquat fruit.     

低温贮藏引起果蔬冷害的研究进展

果蔬在不适低温下贮藏易发生冷害,冷害可造成果蔬的贮运损失,使其食用品质下降。综述了果蔬在低温下贮藏时冷害发生的症状、机理,并重点介绍了抑制果蔬冷害的几种措施,其中包括温度调节、气调贮藏、化学物质处理等,最后提出减缓和控制低温冷害进一步研究的方向。     

糖代谢调控杨梅果实采后抗氧化活性机制研究进展

杨梅果实中天然抗氧化物质对人类健康的作用日益受到人们的重视, 抗氧化活性的大小已成为衡量果实采后品质的一个重要指标, 维持和提高果实采后抗氧化能力已成为果实采后贮运保鲜研究中的热点。糖代谢是果实采后主要的生理活动之一, 与果实采后花色苷和酚类物质的代谢存在密切的联系。本文简要介绍了杨梅果实的抗氧化特性, 重点综述了糖代谢调控果实采后抗氧化活性机制的研究进展, 提出了糖代谢调控杨梅果实采后花色苷和酚类物质合成代谢机制的研究展望。     

Alleviation of chilling injury in postharvest tomato fruit by preconditioning with ultraviolet irradiation

BACKGROUND: Tomato fruit is usually stored at low temperatures for delayed ripening and extended shelf life. However, tomato fruit is susceptible to chilling injury when exposed to low temperatures. In this study, the potential effects of preconditioning with UV‐C or UV‐B irradiation on chilling injury of postharvest tomato fruit were investigated. RESULTS: Mature–green tomato fruit were exposed to 4 kJ m^?2 UV‐C or 20 kJ m^?2 UV‐B irradiation and stored for 20 days at 2 °C and subsequently 10 days at 20 °C. UV irradiation was effective in reducing chilling injury index and delaying ethylene peak. Furthermore, UV irradiation preserved storage quality as manifested by reduced weight loss, better retention of firmness, and higher contents of total soluble solids, soluble protein and soluble sugar during subsequent storage at 20 °C. UV‐C irradiation significantly delayed the development of the red colour after 10 days of storage at 20 °C. On the other hand, UV irradiation decreased total phenolics content and antioxidant capacity, suggesting possibly reduced stress response to low temperature resulted from enhanced physiological adaptation by UV preconditioning. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that preconditioning with UV‐C or UV‐B irradiation in appropriate doses had a positive effect on alleviating chilling injury in postharvest tomato fruit. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Phytochemical composition,cellular antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative activity in mango (Mangifera indica L.) pulp and peel

Cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and inhibition of hepato‐cellular carcinoma (HepG2) proliferation were evaluated for the first time in the pulp and peel of mango cultivars. Comparatively, peel had high flavonoids and tocopherols content and showed significant antioxidant activity. Among all the studied cultivars, the Xiao Tainong peel was predominant with highest fistein, mangiferin and alpha‐tocopherol content and significant cellular antioxidant activity value 2986 ± 380 μmol QE/100 g FW. The HepG2 cells antiproliferation was maximum in the peel of Da Tainong and pulp of Aozhou with lowest EC₅₀ values, 2.35 ± 0.65 (peel) and 185.4 ± 10.9 (pulp) mg mL^?1, in a dose‐dependent manner. Negative associations of flavonoids and tocopherol compounds with CAA and antiproliferative activity in mango confirmed synergistic, additive or antagonistic actions of phytochemicals. The current study suggests that mango peel could be used as a value added ingredient or functional food and may contribute considerably to promote consumer health.