Biochemical and molecular changes in peach fruit exposed to cold stress conditions

Abstract

Storage or transportation temperature is very important for preserving the quality of fruit. However, low temperature in sensitive fruit such as peach can induce loss of quality. Fruit exposed to a specific range of temperatures and for a longer period can show chilling injury (CI) symptoms. The susceptibility to CI at low temperature varies among cultivars and genetic backgrounds. Along with agronomic management, appropriate postharvest management can limit quality losses. The importance of correct temperature management during postharvest handling has been widely demonstrated. Nowadays, due to long-distance markets and complex logistics that require multiple actors, the management of storage/transportation conditions is crucial for the quality of products reaching the consumer.Peach fruit exposed to low temperatures activate a suite of physiological, metabolomic, and molecular changes that attempt to counteract the negative effects of chilling stress. In this review an overview of the factors involved, and plant responses is presented and critically discussed. Physiological disorders associated with CI generally only appear after the storage/transportation, hence early detection methods are needed to monitor quality and detect internal changes which will lead to CI development. CI detection tools are assessed: they need to be easy to use, and preferably non-destructive to avoid loss of products. Graphical Abstract

Exogenous Gibberellic Acid Ameliorates Chilling Injury in Peach (Prunus persica L.) by Improving the Antioxidant System

“…Recent studies have shown that spraying GA 3 after harvest had a positive influence on CI in fruit during long-term storage [15]. For instance, exogenous GA 3 treatment effectively modulates the activities of many enzymes in fruit cells, alleviates chilling injury, and reduces ethylene biosynthesis, thus improving the storage quality of orchard products [16,17]. The same results were demonstrated using tomato [18], loquat [19], and green chili [20].…”

Preliminary Analysis, Combined with Omics of Chilling Injury Mechanism of Peach Fruits with Different Cold Sensitivities during Postharvest Cold Storage

“…Low-temperature storage is the main way of prolonging the postharvest life of fresh fruits. When exposed to temperatures lower than the optimal growth temperature, coldsensitive plants or specific plant organs may become damaged [20,22]. This study's results showed that when peach fruits were stored at about 4-5 • C, there would be severe chilling injury symptoms, such as pulp browning and flavor loss [5,23,24].…”

“…Metabolic group, transcriptome, and other combination techniques have been widely used in many horticultural crops to reveal their response mechanism to environmental stress during growth and development or maturation and softening For example, the physiological and biochemical changes in peach fruits in the dimensions of the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolic groups during postharvest chilling injury; the molecular mechanism of peach fruit responding to low-temperature stress; and a simple and non-destructive method for the detection and evaluation of fruit chilling injury during transportation and storage can be used [20]. In addition, the integration of metabolic groups and transcriptomics laid the foundation for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of plants' responses to low-temperature stress.…”

“…Peach is a kind of fruit that is sensitive to cold, and its CI sensitivity depends on its genetic background, ripening stage, and orchard factors, such as its agronomic management and environmental conditions. The sensitivity levels of different peach varieties to 0 • C and 5 • C storage are very different [20]. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of lipid groups and transcriptional groups regarding the occurrence of chilling injury in fruits induced by low temperatures.…”