Effect of postharvest nicotinamide treatment on NAD+ metabolism and redox status in strawberry fruit during storage

Abstract

The increased activity of PARP enzymes is associated with a deficiency of NAD⁺, as well as with a loss of NADPH and ATP, and consequent deterioration of the redox state in fruits. In this study, we checked whether treatment with nicotinamide (NAM) would affect PARP-1 expression and NAD⁺ metabolism in strawberry fruit during storage. For this purpose, strawberry fruits were treated with 10 mM NAM and co-treated with NAM and UV-C, and then stored for 5 days at 4 °C. Research showed that nicotinamide contributes to reducing oxidative stress level by reducing PARP-1 mRNA gene expression and the protein level resulting in higher NAD⁺ availability, as well as improving energy metabolism and NADPH levels in fruits, regardless of whether they are exposed to UV-C. The above effects cause fruits treated with nicotinamide to be characterised by higher anti-radical activity, and a lower level of reactive oxygen species in the tissue.

Keywords: Antioxidants; Berries; Nicotinamide; Oxidative stress; PARP1; Western blot.