Effects of melatonin treatment on the physiological quality and cell wall metabolites in kiwifruit

Abstract

We investigated the effects of melatonin (MT) treatment on the physiological quality and cell wall metabolism of kiwifruit during a 12-day shelf life period (20 ± 1 °C, 90 ± 5% RH), after 90 days of cold storage (0 ± 0.5 °C, 90 ± 5% RH). Our results showed that MT treatment delayed kiwifruit softening, as evidence by the enhanced endurance of a healthy appearance, quality, color difference L* value, and firmness of the fruit flesh. MT treatment reduced fruit decay rate, respiration rate, and malondialdehyde content; furthermore, MT-treated kiwifruit maintained high levels of total soluble solids, titratable acid, and ascorbic acid. Additionally, MT inhibited the decrease in fruit pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose contents; it delayed the increase in watersoluble pectin content and kept pectin methyl esterase, polygalacturonase, cellulase, and β-galactosidase activities low. These results indicated that melatonin may have reduced the speed of softening of kiwifruit and preserved fruit quality by inhibiting enzymatic degradation of the cell wall, and by delaying pro-pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose degradation, as well as the increase of water-soluble pectin content. These findings indicate that MT treatment may be an effective measure to delay kiwifruit postharvest cell-wall metabolism and preserve fruit quality.

Prolong the postharvest shelf life of spinach through the antioxidative ability of melatonin

“…It can also improve the activities of glutathione reductase, ascorbic acid peroxidase and dehydroascorbic acid reductase in jujube, and increase the contents of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid. Besides, MT has been proved to inhibit the activities of pectin methyl esterase, cellulase and β -glucosidase and the production of water-soluble pectin, and keep the content of water-insoluble pectin, thus delaying the softening and spoilage of spinach, and improving the quality of spinach during storage( Cao et al, 2021 ).…”

Postharvest Physiology and Handling of Guava Fruit

“…Research suggests that melatonin treatment can improve postharvest quality through several mechanisms: (i) reducing respiration; (ii) increasing antioxidant capacity; and (iii) acting as a plant growth regulator to regulate ripening and senescence. Melatonin has been used to delay postharvest ripening in a diverse array of fruits, including apple [ 95 ], sweet cherry [ 96 ], banana [ 97 , 98 ], pear [ 99 ], peach [ 100 ], kiwifruit [ 85 , 101 ], and mango [ 102 ]. Exogenous melatonin treatment can also increase the disease resistance and decrease the incidence of decay in fruits during postharvest storage, as has been demonstrated in litchi [ 103 ] and strawberry [ 104 ].…”

Effect of exogenous melatonin on antioxidant properties and fruit softening of ‘Fengtang’ plum fruit (Prunus salicina Lindl.) during storage at room temperature

“…Additionally, growing research indicates that melatonin contributes significantly to improving postharvest quality ( Feng et al., 2022 ; Saud et al., 2023 ). By altering the metabolism of the cell wall, melatonin administration encourages the accumulation of soluble sugars and amino acids and delays fruit softening in kiwifruit ( Cao et al., 2022 ). However, there is still a scarcity of data on the effect of melatonin on postharvest softening and fruit quality of plums ( Yan et al., 2022 ).…”