title: Use of UV-C treatment to inhibit the microbial growth and maintain the quality of Yali pear.
abstract: The effects of UV-C radiation on microbial growth in vitro (Monilinia fruticola) and in inoculated Yali pears (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.) were investigated. Moreover, postharvest quality and the activities of defense and antioxidant enzymes were analyzed after the pears were exposed to UV-C irradiation at an energy level of 5 kJ m⁻².The results showed that spore germination of M. fructicola was significantly inhibited by each of the 3 doses (1, 5, and 10 kJ m⁻²) in vitro. In the in vivo assays, lesion diameter on the fruit being inoculated before or after the UV-C treatment was both significantly lower than that on the fruit of control. Meanwhile, the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, β-1,3-glucanase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione reductase were induced to high levels by UV-C treatment. We conclude that UV-C treatment could reduce postharvest disease by the germicidal and induced effects and maintain the quality by enhancing the antioxidant enzyme activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UV-C radiation has recently been proposed as a new technology to avoid chemical fungicides. However, there are few studies regarding the effect of UV-C treatment on Yali pear. In this study, we found that 5 kJ m⁻² UV-C irradiation can control postharvest disease and maintain the quality of Yali pear. This method may be applied to reduce the decay of Yali pears during exporting and storage.
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural Univ., Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Jiaqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jiankang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yumei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Weibo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005514:Food Irradiation / Q000379:methods; D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D043326:Glucan 1,3-beta-Glucosidase / Q000378:metabolism; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D031989:Pyrus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011786:Quality Control; D004718:Saccharomycetales / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D043326:Glucan 1,3-beta-Glucosidase; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid