title: Post-harvest UV-B irradiation induces changes of phenol contents and corresponding biosynthetic gene expression in peaches and nectarines.
abstract: In the present study the possibility of enhancing phenolic compound contents in peaches and nectarines by post-harvest irradiation with UV-B was assessed. Fruits of 'Suncrest' and 'Babygold 7' peach and 'Big Top' nectarine cultivars were irradiated with UV-B for 12 h, 24 h and 36 h. Control fruits underwent the same conditions but UV-B lamps were screened by benzophenone-treated polyethylene film. The effectiveness of the UV-B treatment in modulating the concentration of phenolic compounds and the expression of the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes, was genotype-dependent. 'Big Top' and 'Suncrest' fruits were affected by increasing health-promoting phenolics whereas in 'Babygold 7' phenolics decreased after UV-B irradiation. A corresponding trend was exhibited by most of tested phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes. Based on these results UV-B irradiation can be considered a promising technique to increase the health-promoting potential of peach fruits and indirectly to ameliorate the aesthetic value due to the higher anthocyanin content.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scattino
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.affiliation: Department Quality, Leibniz-Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops Grossbeeren/Erfurt e.V., Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, D-14979 Grossbeeren, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neugart
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of California at Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Helen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department Quality, Leibniz-Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops Grossbeeren/Erfurt e.V., Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, D-14979 Grossbeeren, Germany.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schreiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of California at Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Crisosto
authors.affiliation: Life Science Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tonutti
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: anna.maria.ranieri@unipi.it.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ranieri
mesh_terms: D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis; D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000528:radiation effects; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000032:analysis; D027861:Prunus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D044945:Proanthocyanidins; C404987:flavan-3-ol
keywords: Genes; Nectarine; Peach; Phenols; Post-harvest; UV-B