title: Melatonin treatment attenuates postharvest decay and maintains nutritional quality of strawberry fruits (Fragaria×anannasa cv. Selva) by enhancing GABA shunt activity.
abstract: Fresh strawberry fruits as perishable commodities have a short postharvest life and are prone to postharvest fungal decay. In this study, the impact of 0, 1, 10, 100 and 1000μmol/L melatonin on attenuating fungal decay and maintaining nutritional quality of strawberry fruits was investigated during storage at 4°C for 12days. Melatonin treatment at 100μmol/L triggered H2O2accumulation, which result from higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, associated with lower catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities, leading to fruits with lower decay. Higher H2O2accumulation was concurrent with higher phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) enzyme activity leading to higher total phenols and anthocyanins accumulation along with higher DPPH scavenging capacity. Also, strawberry fruits treated with melatonin exhibited higher γ-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T) enzyme activity which ensured sufficient ATP supplying leading to higher unsaturated/saturated fatty acids (unSFA/SFA) ratio.
authors.affiliation: Young Researchers and Elite Club, Ahar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahar, Iran. Electronic address: m-aghdam@iau-ahar.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Morteza Soleimani
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Aghdam
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Electronic address: jrfard2005@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Javad Rezapour
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fard
mesh_terms: D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000032:analysis; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060387:Ascorbate Peroxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D031985:Fragaria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008550:Melatonin / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009753:Nutritive Value / Q000187:drug effects*; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D000975:Antioxidants; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D005520:Food Preservatives; D010636:Phenols; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D060387:Ascorbate Peroxidases; D002374:Catalase; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase; D008550:Melatonin
keywords: Energy status; Nutritional quality; Phenylalanine ammonia lyase; Postharvest decay; γ-Aminobutyric acid transaminase