The color change of the jujube fruit after harvest is used as a quality indicator. The effects of abscisic acid (ABA) and a chitosan/nano-silica/sodium alginate composite film on the color development and qualitative properties of harvested jujube in cold storage were investigated. The results indicate that a composite film could prolong the shelf life of post-harvested winter jujube for approximately 1 month, while the ABA treatment induced ripening and reduced the quality. A significant positive correlation between the a∗/b∗ values, water loss and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content was found for fruits in cold storage. In comparison with the control and ABA-treated fruit, superoxide dismutase (SOD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities were lower than those in a composite film-treated fruit. In addition, the dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) is the primary gene that regulates the expression of anthocyanin.
Keywords: ABA; Anthocyanidin genes; Color development; Composite film; Winter jujube.
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