The Regulatory Mechanisms and Control Technologies of Chilling Injury and Fungal Diseases of Postharvest Loquat Fruit

Abstract

Loquat is a popular fruit widely cultivated all over the world. It is rich in minerals and carotenoids and has high commercial value. At room temperature, loquat fruit is impressionable to water and nutritional losses, physical damage, and microbial decay, resulting in a short postharvest life. Low-temperature storage is routinely used to prolong the shelf life of loquat fruit; however, cold storage can also lead to lignification of flesh tissue, which is one of the major symptoms of chilling injury (CI), reducing the quality and economic value of the fruit. In addition, fruit decay caused by microbial infection is another important reason for postharvest losses of loquat. To reduce quality deterioration and optimize the postharvest storage strategies of loquat fruit, considerable progress has been made in the physiological and molecular biological studies of CI, microbial decay, and preservation technologies of loquat fruit during the postharvest phase in recent decades. This review summarizes the current research progress and provides a reference for the improvement of loquat fruit quality.

Postharvest Biology and Technology of Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)

“…It has been shown that improved plant resilience is directly connected to the increasing levels of sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) uptake and SO 2 metabolism in plants. The application of SO 2 helps to maintain the equilibrium between the production of ROS and their detoxification, which in turn helps to suppress ROS formation and prevent the lignification of the flesh of loquat fruit [ 33 ]. The treatment of loquat fruit with an SO 2 -releasing agent (SO 2 -releasing pad) substantially reduced the prevalence of decay and browning.…”

“…Previously, the metabolic changes during fruit ripening and the postharvest quality management of loquat fruit have been summarized in different reviews [ 2 , 32 ]. Moreover, the mechanism and control strategies of major fungal diseases in loquat fruit have also been presented in a recent review [ 33 ]. However, comprehensive information explaining harvest maturity indices, harvest and handling at the farm, postharvest quality management techniques, postharvest disorders and their management, as well as major diseases in the loquat fruit were not discussed in detail.…”

Advances in loquat post‐harvest preservation and the application of nanotechnology for its active packaging

“…The cell membrane is the primary location where chilling injury takes place. Phase changes under low temperature stress and a gradual transformation from liquid crystal to solid state, followed by increased permeability and damage to the cell membrane, have an impact on the structure and function of the membrane (Zhang et al, 2022c). Another significant contributor to cell membrane damage is membrane lipid peroxidation and decomposition, which is mostly manifested by decreased unsaturation of membrane phospholipids and fatty acids and elevated MDA levels.…”

“…Loquat is a chilling‐sensitive fruit (Xu et al, 2019). When kept below 5°C, loquats are susceptible to cold damage, when kept above 0°C, they are susceptible to lignification, interior browning, and juicy loss (Dhiman et al, 2022; Wang et al, 2021; Zhang et al, 2022c). It is believed that chilling injury (CI), which results in the rotting of loquat fruit, is brought on by aberrant alterations in the cell wall (Dhiman et al, 2022).…”

“…On one hand, the low storage temperature decreases the fruit's respiratory activity, causing a decline of ATP and enzyme activity, which lowers cellular respiration intensity and prevents the manufacture of C 2 H 4 . On the other hand, high humidity levels can significantly minimize moisture evaporation, which lowers the fruit's weight loss (Hu et al, 2019; Zhang et al, 2022c). Wang et al's (2021) investigation into the effects of melatonin (MT) and low‐temperature treatment on the edibility and lignification of loquat fruit kept at 4°C for 25 days.…”