Melatonin treatment reduces ethylene production and maintains fruit quality in apple during postharvest storage

Jakaria Chowdhury Onik; Su Chit Wai; Ang Li; Qiong Lin; Qianqian Sun; Zhidong Wang; Yuquan Duan

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127753

Melatonin treatment reduces ethylene production and maintains fruit quality in apple during postharvest storage

Food Chem. 2021 Feb 1:337:127753. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127753. Epub 2020 Aug 4.

Authors

Jakaria Chowdhury Onik¹, Su Chit Wai¹, Ang Li¹, Qiong Lin², Qianqian Sun¹, Zhidong Wang¹, Yuquan Duan³

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Agro-products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/ Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China.
² Key Laboratory of Agro-products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/ Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: linqiong1026@126.com.
³ Key Laboratory of Agro-products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/ Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: duanyuquan@caas.cn.

PMID: 32777566
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127753

Abstract

The effects of treatment with melatonin on ripening of 'Fuji' apples during storage at 1 °C for 56 d were investigated. The apples were harvested at the commercial ripening stage and treated with 1 mmol L^-1 melatonin. Compared with the control, melatonin treated apples had significant reduced ethylene production (28 d-56 d) and weight loss (14 d-56 d) during storage (p < 0.05). Also, the melatonin treatment maintained better apple skin structure throughout storage. The reduced ethylene production was regulated by the decreased expressions of MdACO1, MdACS1, MdAP2.4 and MdERF109, based on RNA-Seq analysis, which was validated using qRT-PCR analysis. Moreover, the activity of 3 enzymes, including peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), were significantly increased in melatonin treated fruit (p < 0.05). Taken together, this study highlights the inhibitory effects of melatonin in ethylene biosynthesis and factors influencing postharvest quality in apple.

Keywords: Apple; Ethylene; Melatonin; Peel injury; Postharvest storage.

MeSH terms

Ethylenes / biosynthesis*
Food Quality*
Food Storage / methods*
Fruit / drug effects*
Malus / drug effects*
Malus / enzymology
Malus / metabolism*
Melatonin / pharmacology*

Substances

Ethylenes
ethylene
Melatonin