UV-C enhances resistance against gray mold decay caused by Botrytis cinerea in strawberry fruit

Postharvest application of pectic‐oligosaccharides on quality attributes, activities of defense‐related enzymes, and anthocyanin accumulation in strawberry

“…2(a), PAL enzyme activity in control strawberry and POS‐treated fruit increased within the first 6 days of storage and then began to decrease. Similar trends for PAL enzyme activity in untreated strawberries have also been reported by other authors . During the whole storage period, POS‐ treated fruit displayed significantly ( P < 0.05) higher PAL enzyme activity than the control.…”

“…Chitinase activity in untreated strawberries increased within the first 8 days of storage and then tended to decrease afterward. Similar changes also have been observed in untreated strawberries during storage . Interestingly, the chitinase activity of strawberries was markedly increased in the first 2 days of cold storage in POS‐treated fruit, compared with that of the control fruit.…”

“…Phenolic accumulation is crucial for the nutritional quality of fruit and helps to maintain human health through antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activity. In addition to human health benefits, phenolic compounds also play an essential role in plant defense mechanisms against fungal attack, which is correlated with enhanced disease resistance …”

“…Chitinase is able to hydrolyze the chitin of fungal cell wall, whereas β ‐1,3‐glucanase could induce a defense response by releasing the oligosaccharides from the cell walls of the pathogenic microorganisms . The induction of higher activities of chitinase and β ‐1,3‐glucanase in strawberry had been correlated with the enhancement of disease resistance against pathogens . Previous studies had reported that chitinase and β ‐1,3‐glucanase activities could be induced in strawberry by various postharvest treatments, for instance, UV‐C treatment, β ‐aminobutyric acid, and others elicitors including chitosan and benzothiadiazole .…”

“…For this reason, several treatments have been made regarding the stimulation of defense mechanisms to extend the shelf‐life and to maintain the physical and nutritional quality of fresh horticultural commodities . In the case of strawberry, various treatments including UV‐B and UV‐C irradiation, heat treatments, benzothiadiazole‐7‐carbothioic acid S ‐methyl ester, salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate, β ‐aminobutyric acid, melatonin, chitosan, alginate‐oligosaccharides, ceramide and ascorbic acid, and other elicitors have been applied to maintain the quality characteristics, attenuate fungal decay, extend the shelf‐life, and improve nutritional quality of fresh strawberry by the induction of different defense mechanisms in the fruit.…”