title: Paper-based 1-MCP treatment suppresses cell wall metabolism and delays softening of Huanghua pears during storage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Huanghua pear will lose its firmness quickly during postharvest storage at ambient temperature, and hence has limited storage and marketing potential. In this study, Huanghua pears treated with paper containing 0 (control) or 0.9 μL L-11-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 12 h, and then stored at (25 ± 1) °C for 30 days, were investigated for the effect on fruit firmness, cell wall composition and activities of cell wall-degrading enzymes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Huanghua pears without 1-MCP treatment softened rapidly during room-temperature storage and cell wall composition analyses showed an increase in water-soluble pectin (WSP) and decreases in cell wall materials (CWM) and cell wall components such as Na2CO3-soluble pectin (NSP), cellulose and hemicellulose. In contrast, the 1-MCP-treated fruits maintained higher firmness than the control; also, the treatment prevented the formation of WSP and reduced the degradation of CWM and cell wall components including NSP, cellulose and hemicellulose. 1-MCP treatment also significantly lowered the activities of cell wall-degrading enzymes such as pectinesterase, polygalacturonase, β-galactosidase and cellulase during storage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1-MCP treatment can slow down the softening of Huanghua pears through reducing cell wall-degrading enzyme activities and hence maintain the integrity of the cell wall structure. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Postharvest Technology of Agricultural Products, College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.|Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA 30223, USA.
authors.forename: Yihui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Postharvest Technology of Agricultural Products, College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.
authors.forename: Junzheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Institute of Postharvest Technology of Agricultural Products, College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.
authors.forename: Hetong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA 30223, USA.
authors.forename: Yen-Con
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Institute of Postharvest Technology of Agricultural Products, College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Postharvest Technology of Agricultural Products, College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.
authors.forename: Yifen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Postharvest Technology of Agricultural Products, College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D061353:Food Storage; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010368:Pectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D031989:Pyrus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003521:Cyclopropanes; D005520:Food Preservatives; D010368:Pectins; C412563:1-methylcyclopropene
keywords: 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP); Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai; cell wall components; cell wall-degrading enzymes; softening