Refrigerated storage is widely applied in order to maintain peach quality but it can also induce chilling injuries (CIs) such as flesh browning and bleeding, and mealiness. Peach fruit from three cultivars (‘Red Haven’, RH, ‘Regina di Londa’, RL, and ‘Flaminia’, FL) were stored for 4 weeks under low temperatures (0.5 and 5.5°C). GC-MS was employed to study changes in both metabolome and volatilome induced by cold storage in the mesocarp. CIs were assessed both at the end of each week of storage and after subsequent shelf-life (SL) at 20°C. Flesh browning and mealiness appeared to be more related to 5.5°C storage, while flesh bleeding revealed high incidence following 0.5°C storage. Compared to RL and FL, RH showed a marked lower incidence of CIs. Multivariate statistical analyses indicate that RH peaches indeed differ from RL and FL in particular when considering data from samples collected at the end of the cold storage. Common and divergent responses have been identified in terms of metabolic responses to the applied low temperatures. In all three cultivars raffinose, glucose-6P, fucose, xylose, sorbitol, GABA, epicatechin, catechin, and putrescine markedly increased during cold storage, while citramalic, glucuronic, mucic and shikimic acids decreased. Among volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes and alcohols generally accumulated more under low temperature conditions while esters and lactones evolved during subsequent SL. The main cultivar differences developed after cold storage during SL although some common responses (e.g., an increased production of ethyl acetate) were observed. The lower levels of flesh browning and bleeding displayed by RH peaches were related to compounds with antioxidant activity, or acting as osmotic protectants and membrane stabilizer. Indeed, RH showed higher levels of amino acids and urea, together with a marked increase in putrescine, sorbitol, maltitol, myoinositol and sucrose detected during storage and SL.

Potatoes represent an important staple food crop across the planet. Yet, to maintain tuber quality and extend availability, there is a necessity to store tubers for long periods often using industrial-scale facilities. In this context, preserving potato quality is pivotal for the seed, fresh and processing sectors. The industry has always innovated and invested in improved post-harvest storage. However, the pace of technological change has and will continue to increase. For instance, more stringent legislation and changing consumer attitudes have driven renewed interest in creating alternative or complementary post-harvest treatments to traditional chemically reliant sprout suppression and disease control. Herein, the current knowledge on biochemical factors governing dormancy, the use of chlorpropham (CIPC) as well as existing and chemical alternatives, and the effects of pre- and post-harvest factors to assure potato tuber quality is reviewed. Additionally, the role of genomics as a future approach to potato quality improvement is discussed. Critically, and through a more industry targeted research, a better mechanistic understanding of how the pre-harvest environment influences tuber quality and the factors which govern dormancy transition should lead to a paradigm shift in how sustainable storage can be achieved.

Highlights Continuous ethylene activates ACO transcription and respiration in potatoes. 1-MCP completely inhibits the respiratory rise induced by continuous ethylene exposure. Exogenous ethylene promptly activates parenchymatic ABA catabolism via CYP707A upregulation. A Kunitz-type invertase inhibitor mediates ethylene-induced sweetening. A physiologically targeted ethylene + 1-MCP treatment offers an alternative to CIPC.

BACKGROUND: Selenium (Se) enrichment of plants seems effective in enhancing the health-related properties of produce and in delaying plant senescence and fruit ripening. The current study investigated the effects of Se on tomato fruit ripening. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants were grown in hydroponics with different Se-enriched nutrient solutions. Se, as sodium selenate, was added at a rate of 0 mg L −1 (control), 1, and 1.5 mg L −1 . RESULTS: Selenium was absorbed by roots and translocated to leaves and fruit. Enrichment with Se did not significantly affect the qualitative parameters of fruit at commercial harvest; instead it delayed ripening by affecting specific ripening-related processes (respiration, ethylene production, color evolution) during postharvest. In the current experiment 100 g of tomato hydroponically grown with a 1.5 mg Se L −1 enriched solution provided a total of 23.7 g Se. Selenium recommended daily intake is 60 g for women and 70 g for men; thus the daily consumption of 100 g of enriched tomato would not lead to Se toxicity but would provide a good Se diet supplementation. CONCLUSIONS:The cultivation of tomato plants in a Se-enriched solution appeared effective in producing tomato fruit with improved performance during storage and postharvest shelf life, and also with greater potential health-promoting properties. Statistical analysisData were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Se treatments as variables. The means were separated using the least significance difference (LSD) (P < 0.05). Statistical analysis was performed using Statgraphics Plus 5.1.

Fresh-cut fruit products for both retail and food service applications have increasingly appeared in the market place in recent years. Among different fruit types, peaches can be used and are highly appreciated as fresh-cut product although their commercial success is limited due to their short shelf-life and the quick onset of wounding-related physiological reactions. In this work we analyzed the technological and physiological changes induced by fresh-cut preparation in three different types of peach cultivars: 'Fayette' (melting), 'Wilhelmina' (non-melting) and 'Ghiaccio3' (stony hard). We performed a metabolite targeting profiling to focus on the changes in organic acid levels, important components of fruit taste and organoleptic quality of peaches. Interestingly, 'Ghiaccio3' showed an increase of several organic acids after cutting while 'Fayette' and 'Wilhelmina' showed unchanged amounts or a general reduction. Cutting induces a similar pattern of change in important metabolites (i.e., dehydroascorbate, alanine) in all the three peach types while other metabolites (i.e., citric acid) appeared to be differentially regulated in the considered peach cultivars.