Hydrogen peroxide induced changes in the levels of disease-resistant substances and activities of disease-resistant enzymes in relation to the storability of longan fruit.

ABSTRACT

The influences of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the storability and metabolism of disease-resistant substances in fresh longan were investigated. Compared to the control samples, H2O2-treated longan exhibited a higher index of fruit disease, pericarp browning, and pulp breakdown, a higher rate of fruit weight loss, but lower chromaticity values (L*, a* and b*) in pericarp appearance, and a lower commercially acceptable fruit rate. Additionally, H2O2-treated longan showed a lower lignin content, lower activities of enzymes including phenylalnine ammonia lyase (PAL), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), 4-coumaryl coenzyme A ligase (4-CL), cinnamate dehydrogenase (CAD), peroxidase (POD), chitinase (CHI), and ß-1,3-glucanase (GLU). These data collectively suggest that H2O2 negatively impacted the storability of fresh longan. This can be attributed to H2O2's role in reducing the levels of disease-resistant substances and suppressing the activities of disease-resistant enzymes, implying that H2O2 reduced the postharvest storability of longan by compromising its disease resistance.