title: Hydrogen sulfide prolongs postharvest shelf life of strawberry and plays an antioxidative role in fruits.
abstract: Accumulating evidence shows that hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) plays various physiological roles in plants, such as seed germination, root organogenesis, abiotic stress tolerance, and senescence of cut flowers. However, whether H(2)S participates in the regulation of ripening and senescence in postharvest fruits remains unknown. In the present study, the effect of H(2)S on postharvest shelf life and antioxidant metabolism in strawberry fruits was investigated. Fumigation with H(2)S gas released from the H(2)S donor NaHS prolonged postharvest shelf life of strawberry fruits in a dose-dependent manner. Strawberry fruits fumigated with various concentrations of H(2)S sustained significantly lower rot index, higher fruit firmness, and kept lower respiration intensity and polygalacturonase activities than controls. Further investigation showed that H(2)S treatment maintained higher activities of catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase and lower activities of lipoxygenase relative to untreated controls. H(2)S also reduced malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide anion to levels below control fruits during storage. Moreover, H(2)S treatment maintained higher contents of reducing sugars, soluble proteins, free amino acid, and endogenous H(2)S in fruits. We interpret these data as indicating that H(2)S plays an antioxidative role in prolonging postharvest shelf life of strawberry fruits.
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Lan-Ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Shu-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yan-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ji-Lian
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Zhao-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hui-Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D005519:Food Preservation; D005520:Food Preservatives; D031985:Fragaria / Q000378:metabolism*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D010368:Pectins / Q000032:analysis; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002241:Carbohydrates; D005520:Food Preservatives; D010940:Plant Proteins; D010368:Pectins; C003181:polygalacturonic acid; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide