Rapid postharvest quality deterioration of button mushroom as fruit body surface browning brings about senescence development and limits its distribution potential and postharvest storage. In this investigation, 0.5 mM of NaHS as the optimum concentration for H2S fumigation was applied to retain the quality of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms concerning some qualitative and biochemical attributes evaluation throughout 15 storage-day at 4 °C and 80-90% relative humidity. In H2S fumigated mushrooms, pileus browning index, weight loss and softening decreased, concomitant with higher cell membrane stability as revealed by subsidiary electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 contents compared to the control during the cold storage period. H2S fumigation boosted total phenolics, as presented by the enhanced phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity and total antioxidant scavenging activity, while polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity diminished. Moreover, in H2S fumigated mushrooms not only peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities but also ascorbic acid and glutathione (GSH) contents increased, even though glutathione (GSSG) content declined. The raised endogenous H2S level prompted by greater cystathionine ß-synthase (CBS), cystathionine ?-lyase (CSE), cysteine synthase (CS), L-cysteine desulfhydrases (LCD) and D-cysteine desulfhydrases (DCD) enzymes activities until 10d in fumigated mushrooms. In general, the increase in endogenous H2S biogenesis promoted by H2S fumigation in button mushrooms resulted in retarding senescence development, maintaining redox balance by boosting multiple enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants defense parameters.
Keywords: Button mushroom; antioxidant system; cold storage; hydrogen sulfide; postharvest senescence.