title: [Inhibition of postharvest decay and induction of defensive enzymes by pure oxygen in Chinese bayberry fruit].
abstract: Chinese bayberry fruits were stored in air (control) or pure oxygen atmosphere for up to 12 days at 5 degrees C to investigate the effects of high oxygen on decay control and its relation to the induction of defensive enzyme activities. The results showed that exposure of Chinese bayberry to pure oxygen significantly prevented fruit decay. At the end of the storage period, the decay index of fruits exposed to pure oxygen was only 17% while that of control fruits reached 54% (Fig.1). Pure oxygen caused a significant increase in chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase activities which reached a peak on the 6th day of storage (Fig.2). Phenylalanine ammonium-lyase (Fig.3A) and peroxidase (Fig.4) activities as well as total phenolic content (Fig.3B) increased more quickly and stayed at significantly higher levels in fruits exposed to pure oxygen during storage than the control fruits. These results suggest that the inhibition of postharvest fruit decay by high oxygen was related to the induction of defensive enzyme activities. The induced disease resistance may be involved in the mechanisms by which high oxygen treatment inhibited fruit decay in Chinese bayberry.
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
authors.forename: Zhen-Feng
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yong-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Shi-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Su-Juan
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xue-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xue-Xiu
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D002688:Chitinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods; D043326:Glucan 1,3-beta-Glucosidase / Q000378:metabolism; D031641:Myrica / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002688:Chitinases; D043326:Glucan 1,3-beta-Glucosidase; D010100:Oxygen