Gamma irradiation delays tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ripening by inducing transcriptional changes

Abstract

BACKGROUNDTomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has a relatively short shelf life as a result of rapid ripening, limiting its transportability and marketability. Recently, gamma irradiation has emerged as a viable method for delaying tomato fruit ripening. Although few studies have shown that gamma irradiation delays the ripening of tomatoes, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effects of gamma irradiation on tomato fruit ripening and the underlying mechanisms using transcriptomics.RESULTSFollowing gamma irradiation, the total microbial count, weight loss, and decay rate of tomatoes significantly reduced during storage. Furthermore, the redness (a*), color change (∆E), and lycopene content of gamma‐irradiated tomatoes decreased in a dose‐dependent manner during storage. Moreover, gamma irradiation significantly upregulated the expression levels of genes associated with DNA, chloroplast, and oxidative damage repairs, whereas those of ethylene and auxin signaling‐, ripening‐, and cell wall metabolism‐related, as well as carotenoid genes, were downregulated.CONCLUSIONGamma irradiation effectively delayed ripening by downregulating the expression of ripening‐related genes and inhibiting microbial growth, which prevented decay and prolonged the shelf life of tomatoes. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Preserving the quality attributes of king oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii) through electron beam irradiation

“…The browning reaction in KOMs is accelerated by the production of enzymes such as tyrosinase and polyphenol oxidase (Fernandes et al, 2012). In our previous research on tomatoes, after ionising radiation treatment, transcriptome analysis revealed the activation of genes related to DNA repair and the downregulation of genes associated with other biological processes, including enzyme synthesis, which could be relevant to our current results (Yoon et al, 2023). Furthermore, the microbial analysis results depicted the inhibition of the growth of Pseudomonas spp., a browning-related factor, in the KOMs (Table 1).…”

“…Furthermore, these techniques possess the ability to inhibit respiration in fruits and vegetables, which in turn prolongs their shelf-life (Singh et al, 2016). Previous research has evidenced that gamma irradiation induces DNA damage in post-harvest tomatoes by upregulating genes involved in DNA repair and replication and downregulating those associated with respiration and enzyme production (Yoon et al, 2023).…”