Chilling injury is one of the most significant limitations for low temperature storage of postharvest fruits and vegetables, causing quality deterioration and economic loss. Increasing studies indicated that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is critical in regulating the postharvest fruit and vegetables chilling tolerance. Based on a meta-analysis, the review analyzed the action of exogenous MeJA application on the chilling index in postharvest fruit and vegetables and summarized MeJA's mechanisms for controlling postharvest chilling injury. The meta-analysis found that MeJA treatment remarkably inhibited postharvest fruit and vegetable chilling injury. Moreover, we concluded the following function mechanism of MeJA on postharvest fruit and vegetable chilling tolerance: (1) Enhancing membrane integrity and energy supply, (2) Increasing antioxidant activity, (3) Enhancing arginine pathway, (4) Enhancing sugar metabolism, (5) Regulating phenolic metabolism, (6) Activating CBF pathway, (7) Regulating HSP accumulation and expression, and (8) Crosstalk with phytohormone. Finally, we summarized the regulatory mechanisms of MeJA on postharvest fruit and vegetable biological processes at the transcriptional and post-translational levels.
Keywords: Postharvest fruit and vegetables; chilling injury; meta-analysis; methyl jasmonate.