title: Ecofriendly hot water treatment reduces postharvest decay and elicits defense response in kiwifruit.
abstract: Hot water treatment (HWT) of fruit is an effective approach for managing postharvest decay of fruits and vegetables. In the present study, the effects of HWT (45 °C for 10 min) on the growth of Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum in vitro, and gray (B. cinerea) and blue mold (P. expansum) development in kiwifruit were investigated. HWT effectively inhibited spore germination and germ tube elongation of B. cinerea and P. expansum. Reactive oxygen species accumulation and protein impairment in the fungi triggered by HWT contributed to the inhibitory effect. Results of in vivo studies showed that HWT controlled gray and blue mold in kiwifruit stored at 4 and 25 °C. HWT induced a significant increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase and peroxidase, and the level of total phenolic compounds in kiwifruit. These findings indicate that the inhibition of postharvest decay in kiwifruit by HWT is associated with the inhibition of spore germination of both fungal pathogens and the elicitation of defense response in the kiwifruit host. Moreover, HWT used in this study did not impair fruit quality. HWT appears to represent a potential non-chemical alternative for the effective management of postharvest decay of kiwifruit.
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei, 230009, China.
authors.forename: Huizhen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei, 230009, China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), 2217 Wiltshire Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wisniewski
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei, 230009, China.
authors.forename: Yongsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, 193 Tunxi Road, Hefei, 230009, China. jialiu1983@163.com.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D029042:Actinidia; D020171:Botrytis / Q000254:growth & development; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D010407:Penicillium / Q000254:growth & development; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water
keywords: Defense response; Fungal pathogens; Hot water treatment; Kiwifruit; Postharvest decay