A study of the physicochemical, structural, nanomechanical properties at macro, micro and nanometric scales was carried out to determine which features have the greatest influence on the firmness of selected apple cultivars (Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala and Red Delicious). Physicochemical assays, microscopy techniques, image analysis, nanoindentation and spectroscopy were used to characterize

The contamination of foodborne Escherichia coli in fresh-cut products has become a major problem of public health around the world, so that early and rapid detection of contamination is crucial. This study explored the potential of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) measurement of contamination on the surface of fresh-cut potato slices in visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR, 400-1000 nm) region. Four preprocessing

Nitric oxide (NO), a major signalling molecule with various physiological functions in plants, participates in many responses to abiotic disorders such as cold stress. Chilling injury (CI) is the most costly postharvest problem in zucchini fruit (Cucurbita pepo L.), since it diminishes market acceptability and shelf life. This study investigates the effect of NO treatment on zucchini fruit during postharvest

The alteration of safety-secured yeast is a crucial step before scale applications. Based on previous studies, Pichia pastoris showed great potential and value to improve its biocontrol ability. The original sequences of antimicrobial peptide Ac-AMP2 and MiAMP1 were optimized according to the preference of Pichia pastoris and ligated into pPICZαA plasmid which is emerged as a high-performance vector

In order to investigate the effect of water loss on the different physiological metabolism of zucchini fruit under cold stress after harvest, two cold rooms (4 ℃) with different relative humidities (RH: 74 ± 2 % and 98 ± 2 %) were used for cold storage. The result suggested that high relative humidity (HRH) storage slowed down the increase of weight loss, chilling injury index, malondialdehyde (MDA)

Bitter pit (BP) is a physiological disorder of calcium deficiency in apple fruit and has not been fully characterized. The Ca2+/H+ exchanger (CAX) is a kind of Ca2+ transport protein. In this study, we analysed mineral contents in different parts of fruit, the expression levels of genes related to Ca transport and the functional roles of MdCAXs. The results showed lower water-soluble Ca content and

Wound healing is an inherent property of harvested potato tubers. However natural healing process usually needs 2-4 weeks, which increased water loss and pathogen invasion. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a technology to accelerate wound healing processing. Stroby is a biogenic fungicide with induced resistance and it has not been reported whether it can improve the wound ability of potato tubers

Radio frequency (RF) heating has been considered as one of the most potential thermal treatment technologies to disinfest postharvest agricultural products. A three-dimensional model was established based on single particle approach using a finite element software, COMSOL, to analyze temperature distribution and product quality, and mortality of Conogethes punctiferalis in chestnuts during combined

Lenticel breakdown (LB) mainly occurs in susceptible ‘Gala’ and ‘Red Delicious’ apples following storage. Postharvest calcium treatment increased LB of both cultiavrs as well as the less susceptible ‘Orleans’ and ‘Granny Smith’. Calcium increased the number and size of damaged lenticels. Callose was deposited in the sub-lenticular cells and the cuticle of the damaged lenticels, as well as in non- damaged

Peaches from the Yangshan region, a China-protected geographical indication product (CGIIA), has high economic value because of excellent quality, and price is premium over ordinary peaches. However, authentication of the origin of peaches from this region is challenging because of adulteration in the market and the similar appearance of different cultivar. This research was aimed at developing an

Browning is an important factor affecting the quality of fresh-cut apples, and studying this factor is valuable. Previous research has found that apple browning is due to an enzymatic reaction caused by polyphenol oxidase (PPO), which results in the darkening of apples through the oxidation of polyphenols to quinones. We screened two Fuji apple types, “flushed-skin color pattern” (Type P) and “striped-skin

Controlled postharvest stresses were used to induce the synthesis of antioxidants in tomato fruit. In this study, a hot-water (HW) treatment of 52 °C for 5 min promoted higher total oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) compared to fruit immersed in 25 °C water for 5 min. Whereas, ethylene treatment at high temperature, particularly at 35 °C for 24, 48 or 72 h, induced higher content of total phenolics

Enzymatic browning is one of the essential issues affecting the quality of fresh-cut produce. In this study, we identified a novel, safe, and effective anti-browning agent, 3-mercapto-2-butanol, which can prevent fresh-cut potatoes from browning for 5 d under the concentration of 25 μL L−1 at 5 °C. The inhibitory effect of 3-mercapto-2-butanol was close to sodium bisulfite. 3-Mercapto-2-butanol was

The effect of long-term storage of ‘Conference’ pears under ultra-low oxygen levels with or without multiple oxygen pull downs of different duration on fruit quality, ethylene emission, fermentative metabolites and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was investigated. Pears were cold stored for seven months under three different atmospheres: initial low oxygen stress (ILOS), dynamic low oxygen pull downs

Transcriptional regulation of aroma formation genes during postharvest storage remains poorly understood in the blueberry. In order to have a better understanding of the transcriptional regulation processes that occur in rabbiteye blueberry during storage and their effect on the volatile composition change, we performed volatile metabolite profiling and transcriptomic analysis. Our study reveals that

Tremendous economic losses in the citrus industry are caused by infestations of Penicillium digitatum. Previous research has shown that the terpene myrcene in citrus essential oils could stimulate the spore germination and mycelial growth of P. digitatum. However, the underlying mechanism is poorly known. Here, how myrcene induces the spore germination of P. digitatum was elucidated. The addition of

Chitosan is obtained at industrial scale through a process of alkaline deacetylation of chitin the major waste of shrimp industry. Its utilization could both diminish industrial environmental impact and add value to foods and other industrial products. In this study, an industrial chitosan obtained in Argentina and a commercial chitosan were physicochemically characterized and evaluated as edible coating

Gray mold is the main postharvest disease of pomegranate fruit worldwide caused by Botrytis cinerea. However, recent advances in phylogeny of Botrytis spp. revealed that B. cinerea is a complex species. In this study, in total 150 and 246 Botrytis spp. isolates were collected during 2015 and 2016 from Greek and Californian pomegranate packinghouses, respectively, and used to investigate the disease

Phenolic acids are important secondary metabolites involved in multiple physiological activities in plants, such as enzymatic activities and nutrient uptake. Given their health-promoting benefits, phenolic acids have attracted considerable research interests. However, their functions in maintaining postharvest fruit quality and suppressing disease incidence are seldom documented. Here, we reported

Detecting mature-green and immature-green tomatoes using non-destructive approaches is a challenge for the fresh produce industry. Hyperspectral fluorescence imaging technique with excitation wavelength at 365 nm and UV–vis CCD camera was used for early non-destructive detection of mature-green and immature-green fruit from 200 randomly harvested green tomatoes. Conventional destructive analysis regarding

Juice sac granulation is a serious problem in pummelo (Citrus grandis L. Osbeck) fruits during postharvest storage owing to various abiotic stress conditions, which greatly reduces their attractiveness and commercial value. Hence, measures to alleviate the postharvest juice sac granulation of pummelo are of great importance. The current study was designed to investigate the effects of 1.5 % chitosan

Previous studies reported the ability of l-glutamate (glutamate) to induce host resistance against Alternaria alternata, but the underlying mechanism is still scarce. Here, temporal alteration in antioxidant enzymes and glutamate consuming pathways were transcriptionally and enzymatically monitored in tomato fruits. The results showed that exogenous glutamate application enhanced the activities of

To understand the regulatory mechanism of leaf yellowing in pak choi with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment at (20 ± 0.5) °C, integrative analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome profiles was performed. Results showed that treatment with 1-MCP significantly delayed degreening and inhibited the respiration rate and ethylene production of pak choi. Chlorophyllide (Chlide) a, pheophytin (Phy)

Variables selection methods have been proven successfully in the field of visible-near infrared spectroscopy (vis-NIRS) to optimize the predictive performance of regression models. However, because only selected spectral variables have been used, and discarding of residual spectral variables result in loss of spectral information. In this work, soluble solids content (SSC) of Chinese bayberry was non-destructively

The application of a quarantine hot water treatment (HWT) induces chilling injury (CI) tolerance in mango fruit, but little is known about the mechanisms involved in this tolerance. The aim of this study was to identify metabolomic changes associated with HWT-induced CI tolerance in 'Keitt' mango fruit. Mature green fruit treated with hot water (HWT; 46.1 °C, 75-90 min) and non-treated (control) were

The enzyme genes involved in two lignifications of stored Pleurotus eryngii remain unclear. Here, we investigated the lignification profiles and associated gene expression by RNA-seq, molecular clone and qRT-PCR analysis to identify the key structural genes and reveal their expression features under different conditions. A total of 2803 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in samples

Fruit ripening is an economically important process of many edible fruits, which is controlled by a multi-level regulatory network coordinating the spatio-temporal expression of a large array of genes and/or proteins. In banana, ethylene orchestrates the ripening process, but the regulatory mechanism(s) controlling the expression of genes encoding ethylene biosynthesis-related enzymes is not fully

The effects of 1­methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment on the quality attributes of ‘Taoxingli’ plum fruit, particularly on whole fruit anthocyanin content via anthocyanin biosynthesis during storage at the non-chilling temperature of 10 °C were investigated. The results showed that 1-MCP treatment effectively reduced weight loss and better maintained soluble solids content (SSC) and titratable acidity

Japanese plums are popular fruits since they are exceptionally nutritious with high fiber and antioxidant content. This work has aimed to analyze the most critical phenology, fruit quality and postharvest parameters from a genomic point of view to identify molecular markers closely linked to the most significant Quantitative trait loci (QTLs). A genetic linkage map of an F1 population of 151 individuals

The involvement of different isoforms of genes encoding phospholipases D (CsPLDα, CsPLDβ, CsPLDδ, CsPLDγ and CsPLDζ) and A2 (CsPLA2α, CsPLA2β and CsPAT1) on starvation-induced postharvest non-chilling peel pitting (NCPP) has been compared in the inner (albedo) and outer (flavedo) parts of the peel of citrus fruit treated or not with sucrose (Suc). The study has been performed in Navelate (Citrus sinensis

The cuticle of citrus is known to modulate fruit postharvest quality and is hypothesized to be involved in resistance against the fungal pathogen, Penicillium digitatum. However, only scarce information is available on the effect of cuticular wax on the conidial germination, germ tube elongation, and colony development of P. digitatum. Utilizing a versatile Formvar®-based in vitro system, we were able

Biological variability is the natural characteristic of agricultural products. Non-destructive determination of fruit/vegetable soluble solid content (SSC) using spectral detection method is still a challenge due to the spectral variation caused by abundant biological variations, such as different cultivars, geographic origins and harvest seasons. In this paper, a self-adaptive model was established

‘Nanguo’ pears are prone to core browning at ambient temperatures. To reveal the role of membrane lipid metabolism in the process of core browning, fruit were treated with n-butanol, a phospholipase D (PLD) inhibitor. Changes in phospholipids and fatty acids, as well as the activities and gene expression of key enzymes were analyzed. Membrane phenotype and ultrastructure were also documented. Phospholipid

1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) has been widely used to manipulate fruit ripening. However, inappropriate treatment with 1-MCP may cause ripening disorders. In this study, we observed that the appropriate concentration of 1-MCP (400 nl L−1, 6 h) (1-MCP400) significantly delayed the ripening of Fenjiao banana. However, a high concentration of 1-MCP (3200 nl L−1, 6 h) (1-MCP3200) resulted in abnormal Fenjiao

The present study aimed to estimate the lower oxygen limit (LOL) by DCA – CD (Dynamic controlled atmosphere based on CO2 production) for several apple cultivars and seasons and compare this method with DCA – RQ. The metabolism and overall quality maintenance of fruit stored under DCA – CD was also compared with CA – ULO, DCA – CF and DCA – RQ for ‘Imperial Gala’, ‘Fuji Suprema’, ‘Golden Delicious’

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) can be applied to induce accumulation of bioactive compounds in plant tissues to obtain commodities with health-promoting properties. However, causes of this accumulation are not fully understood as it may result from either an improvement in extraction or an activation of stress-related biosynthetic pathways. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of

Outbreaks of foodborne illnesses from fresh produce in recent years have prompted industrial community to consider new practices aimed at reducing the risks of pathogenic microbial contamination on the produce. The presence of organic matter in wash water not only decreases the efficacy of sanitizers to inactivate microorganisms, but also has the potential to transfer microbial contamination to fresh

To investigate the effects of fruit maturity on chilling injury, antioxidative capacity, and energy metabolism, ‘Hongyang’ kiwifruit were harvested at three stages of maturity (I, II, and III), based on soluble solid content (4.5–5.5 %, 6.5–7.5 %, and 8.5–9.5 %, respectively). The fruit were cold-stored at 0 °C for 100 d and then subjected to various analyses. Among the three fruit stages, stage II

Melatonin is a kind of multifunctional hormone, analogous to indoleacetic acid in structure. To uncover the relationship between exogenous melatonin and the phenylalanine pathway, the liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) was performed to quantify endogenous melatonin and individual anthocyanin content. RT-qPCR was used to explore the expression of primary genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis

Pericarp browning is one of the most important factors limiting the shelf life of litchi fruit. The storage behavior of three cultivars of litchi with different shelf life were studied to comprehensively address the importance of phenolic content and energy status in delaying the development of browning in litchi fruit after harvest. Results revealed that slower changes of browning indices; higher

Abiotic stresses are oxidative in nature and cause generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant bodies. Severe stresses can be harmful to the plant tissue, whereas sub-acute or lower doses of stresses could enhance or induce protective mechanisms, a biological phenomenon known as hormesis. The objective of this work was to examine the effect of hormetic as well as high doses of UV-B on the

An optical sensor system for the detection of moldy apple core (Malus domestica Borkh.) was developed. The cost-effective optical sensor has seven specific wavelengths centered at 425, 455, 515, 615, 660, 700 and 850 nm. However, due to the discrete spectrum, the traditional preprocessing method cannot improve the spectral efficiency. Thus, spectral shape features (SSFs) (i.e., the spectral ratio (SR)

There has been increased interest in the implementation of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a non-destructive analytical technique to monitor the quality and safety of vegetables during their growing season and after harvest, throughout the food supply chain. The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of using a portable NIR spectrophotometer (the MicroNIR™ Pro 1700 (spectral range 908–1676 nm)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ozone treatment of on the phenolic compounds profile and glutathione metabolism in raspberry fruit. Raspberry fruit was stored at room temperature for 72 h and ozonated daily with gaseous ozone at the concentration of 8−10 mg L−1 for 30 min, every 12 h of storage. Research showed that ozonation process significantly affects the level of phenolic

Moldy core is a common disease of apples, but it is difficult to detect because there is no obvious difference in appearance of fruit. In this study, the full-transmittance spectra of apples were collected online with three different orientations at speed of 0.5 m/s using a short-integration-time mode. Spectral measurement orientation has a great influence on the spectral intensity, but no effect on

Fruit senescence is an inevitable and negative developmental process during postharvest storage of cherry tomato. To characterize the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying postharvest fruit ripening and senescence, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and RNA-Seq were employed to analyze the metabolic and transcriptomic profiles after 7, 14, 21, and 28 d of storage at different

Litchi is a perennial fruit crop with a highly heterozygous genome and complex transcripts. Although fruit senescence and pericarp browning have been extensively studied, the underlying regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood. In this study, we used long-read sequencing technology in combination with RNA-seq analysis to investigate the diversity and complexity of the litchi transcriptome