Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Food Science and Technology logoLink to Journal of Food Science and Technology
. 2019 Jul 8;56(10):4658–4666. doi: 10.1007/s13197-019-03917-0

Effect of low-temperature conditioning combined with methyl jasmonate treatment on the chilling resistance of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) fruit

Junyan Shi 1,#, Jinhua Zuo 1,#, Dongying Xu 1,#, Lipu Gao 1, Qing Wang 1,✉
PMCID: PMC6801299  PMID: 31686697

Abstract

Chilling injury (CI) can injure harvested eggplants and lead to a reduction in postharvest quality. The present study examined the effect of low-temperature conditioning (LTC) combined with a methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment on CI by analyzing the visual appearance and physiology of eggplants stored at 4 °C. Results indicated that treatment of eggplants with LTC + MeJA effectively maintained the visual quality of eggplants, inhibited a decline in chlorophyll and total phenolics, delayed the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), decreased polyphenol oxidase (PPO) gene expression and enzyme activity, and enhanced the activity of the antioxidant enzymes, catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), as well as the expression of their corresponding genes. Collectively, the data indicate that LTC combined with MeJA effectively improves the CI tolerance of postharvest eggplant fruit stored at 4 °C, by enhancing the activity and relative gene expression of antioxidant enzymes.

Keywords: Chilling injury, Phenolics, Antioxidase, Gene expression

Introduction

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an economically important crop that possesses a high level of antioxidants (Zaro and Keunchkarian 2015). Low-temperature storage is commonly used to maintain the freshness of horticultural produce, however, eggplants are sensitive to storage temperatures below 10 °C. Chilling injury (CI) results when eggplants are stored at 5 °C for 6–8 days, and is evidenced as surface pitting and bronzing, and the browning of seeds and tissues (Fan et al. 2016a, b). The occurrence of CI in fruits and vegetables can be the result of oxidative stress caused by the accumulation of excess levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Hodges et al. 2004). Plants protect themselves from the effects of ROS through a complex antioxidant system that includes CAT and POD enzyme activity. Previous studies have demonstrated that antioxidant enzyme activity is positively correlated with chilling tolerance in harvested fruits (Sala 1998; Wang 1995).

Low-temperature conditioning (LTC) is a method used to improve the chilling tolerance of horticultural crops and involves the exposure of harvested produce to temperatures slightly higher than the critical chilling temperature range for that crop. A variety of fruits and vegetables, such as and mango, zucchini, loquat, have been shown to exhibit enhanced chilling tolerance at low-temperature storage conditions after they were subjected to LTC (Zhang et al. 2017). A combination of treatments may increase chilling tolerance more than when a single treatment is used alone (Jin et al. 2012). Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is a volatile organic compound that was originally discovered in Jasminum grandiflorum flowers and is regarded as an endogenous regulator that has a significant impact on plant stress response and growth (Cheong and Choi 2003). MeJa can increase the resistance of a crop to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses, such as insect-driven wounding and low temperatures (Wasternack and Parthier 1997). MeJA was previously reported to inhibit and delay the development of cold damage in various fruits and vegetables, including sweet peppers and loquat fruit (Fung et al. 2004; Cao et al. 2009). Thus, it appears that MeJA has great potential for alleviating CI in a diverse range of horticultural crops and delaying the loss in postharvest quality. Individually, LTC and MeJA are both effective at minimizing postharvest CI in horticultural crops and maintaining postharvest quality. The combined use of LTC with MeJA treatment represents a more effective treatment for managing CI and maintaining the quality of peaches and loquat during low-temperature storage (Jin et al. 2009, 2012). Therefore, we examined the ability of the combined use of LTC and MeJA to reduce CI and maintain the quality of harvested eggplants. In the present study, the effect of a combined treatment of eggplants with LTC and MeJA on chilling tolerance, appearance, physiology, and the antioxidant defense system of harvested eggplants stored at low-temperature was examined.

Materials and methods

Eggplant fruits and treatments

Eggplant fruits (S. melongena var. Brigitte) were hand-harvested from an organic vegetable farm in Xiaotangshan, Changping District, Beijing, China and transported to the laboratory within 3 h. The fruits selected for use in the study were similar in terms of maturity, size, and color, with no signs of surface damage, and they all had green calyxes. Fruits were randomly divided into three groups with each group containing 54 fruits. Each fruit weighed approximately 200 g. The control group was directly stored at 4 °C while the LTC group and the LTC + MeJA groups were initially stored at 13 °C for 2 days prior to storage at 4 °C (85–90% relative humidity). The LTC + MeJA group was dipped in 10 μmol L−1 MeJA for 10 min prior to low-temperature storage. The use of 10 μmol L−1 MeJA as an optimal of concentration was based on preliminary experiments utilizing 5, 10 and 15 μmol L−1 MeJA. All of the samples were packed in plastic trays and loosely sealed with a polyethylene film (0.06 mm, O2 permeability coefficient 2920.2 cm3/m2 24 h 0.1MP, CO2 permeability coefficient 12,923.9 cm3/m2 24 h 0.1MP, moisture permeability 5.8 gm/m2 24 h 0.1MP, Huadunxuehua Company, Beijing, China). Assessments of visual quality were conducted each day. Samples of calyx and pulp tissues were collected and rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen and placed at −80 °C for subsequent analysis. Calyx tissues were used to determine chlorophyll, MDA, and total phenolics content, as well as the relative gene expression and enzyme activity of PPO. Pulp samples were evaluated for MDA and total phenolic content, as well as PPO, CAT, and POD gene expression and enzyme activity. Each of the treatments was performed in triplicate and the experiment was repeated three times.

Chilling injury index

CI in eggplants manifests as surface pitting and seed browning (Concellón et al. 2005). The level of CI level in the present study was determined daily in fruits using the method described by Wang et al. (2019).

Calyx browning index and chlorophyll content

Calyx browning index was measured according Massolo et al. (2011). Briefly, the percentage of the total area that exhibited discoloration was measured.

Chlorophyll content was measured following the method described by Shi et al. (2016) with slight modifications. Frozen samples weighing 1 g were mixed with cold acetone/ethanol (2:1) at −20 °C. These extracts were stored at −20 °C for 30 min, then centrifuged at 13,000×g for 6 min at 4 °C. Chlorophyll content was determined by measuring absorbance of the supernatant at 645 nm and 663 nm.

Malondialdehyde assay

MDA content was measured using the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method reported by Zhang et al. (2017). Frozen tissues were homogenized in trichloroacetic acid (TCA, 100 g L−1), and then the obtained extract was centrifuged at 13,000×g for 25 min at 4 °C. A 2 mL portion of the supernatant was added to 2 mL 0.67% (w/v) TBA and the resultant mixture was incubated in water at 100 °C for 20 min. MDA content was then determined by measuring absorbance at 532 nm, 450 nm, and 600 nm.

Total phenolics assay

Total phenolic content was measured spectrophotometrically using the Folin–Ciocalteu (FC) method (Fan et al. 2016a, b). Approximately 1 g of frozen samples was mixed with 6 mL of ethanol, then placed at 80 °C for 1 h in the dark prior to centrifugation at 9000×g for 10 min at 4 °C. A 0.3 mL portion of the supernatant, 1.5 mL of 0.2 mol L−1 FC reagent, and 1.2 mL of 7.5% (w/v) sodium bicarbonate solution were mixed and incubated at room temperature for 1 h prior to measuring absorbance at 760 nm.

POD, CAT, and PPO enzyme activity

For the POD assay, approximately 2 g of the sample powder was homogenized in 10 mL of 0.1 mol L−1 phosphate buffer solution (PBS; pH 7.8, including 0.5% polyvinylpyrrolidone), and then centrifuged at 13,000×g for 25 min at 4 °C. An increase in absorbance at 470 nm was measured over one minute (Shi et al. 2016). For the CAT activity assay, sample extract was prepared as described for the POD assay. CAT activity was determined by calculating the decrease in H2O2 consumption by measuring absorbance at 240 nm (Shi et al. 2016). For the PPO assay, approximately 1 g of frozen, ground sample was suspended in 5 mL of 0.1 mol L−1 PBS (pH 6.5, including 0.5% polyvinylpyrrolidone and 1% Triton X-100) and then centrifuged at 13,000×g for 20 min at 4 °C. PPO activity was determined spectrophotometrically by measuring absorbance at 410 nm.

Reverse transcription: quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR)

Frozen, ground tissue from each treatment was further ground in liquid nitrogen. Then, approximately 0.2 g of tissue sample was added to 2 mL of TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen Ltd., Carlsbad, CA, USA) to extract total RNA. Subsequently, total RNA was subjected to reverse transcription using SuperScript RT (Invitrogen, USA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The resulting cDNA was used as a template for RT-qPCR. The total reaction system (20 μL) used for the RT-qPCR method consisted of cDNA template (0.8 μL), 10 mmol L−1 of each primer (0.4 μL), 10 μL of 2×UltraSBR Mixture (Kangwei, China), and RNase-free water (8.4 μL). The RT-qPCR analysis was performed on a Roche LightCycler 480 instrument according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Primer 5.0 software was used to design the primers (Applied Biosystems) used in the RT-qPCR analyses. Actin was used as a reference gene as described by Zhou et al. (2014). Gene-specific were used to analyze the expression of the following genes: actin (accession no. GU984779.1), forward 5′-ACCACAGCTGAGCGAGAAAT-3′, reverse 5′-GACCATCGGGAAGCTCATAG-3′; POD (accession no. GQ149350.1), forward 5′-CTGCTCGTGATTCCGTTC-3′, reverse 5′-AGCCATCTCCGTTTTGTG-3′; CAT (accession no. NM_001247041.1), forward 5′-CGCATACGACACCCCTTTCT-3′, reverse 5′-AATCCCTTGGCACTAGCACC-3′; and PPO (accession no. x71653.1), forward 5′-GGCTTTTCTTCCCTTTC-3′, reverse 5′-TTACTCTTCCATTGCGG-3′. Each treatment was analyzed in triplicate.

Statistical analysis

The statistical analysis of the obtained data was conducted using SPSS version 22.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The obtained data was subjected to a one-way ANOVA, and treatment means were compared by LSD, with p < 0.05 considered to represent a significant difference. Correlation was analyzed by biomarker biological cloud platform.

Results

Effect of a combined LTC and MeJA treatment on CI in eggplant fruits

The CI index of eggplant fruits was significantly (p < 0.05) lower for the group treated with LCT+MeJA, than in the untreated control group. As shown in Fig. 1a, a 12% CI index was measured in the untreated, control group after 4 days of storage at 4 °C, and this value increased dramatically with continued low-temperature storage. An approximate 36% CI index was measured on day 6 and a CI index over 50% was measured on day 8. In contrast, the CI index in eggplant fruits treated with LTC + MeJA was barely measurable until day 6 and was only about 15% (slight injury) on day 8.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Open in a new tab

a CI index, b calyx browning index and c calyx chlorophyll content in the LTC + MeJA, LTC, and control (CK) groups of eggplant fruit during storage at 4 °C. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 3). The letters a, b, and c indicate significant differences between the three treatment groups, CK and LTC + MeJA, CK and LTC, and LTC and LTC + MeJA, respectively

Effect of a combined LTC and MeJA treatment on the eggplant calyx

All fruits, regardless of treatment, eventually exhibited calyx browning. The calyx in the control fruit quickly became brown within the first 2 days of storage and exhibited over 70% browning on day 8. In contrast, the LTC + MeJA treatment significantly (p < 0.05) delayed calyx discoloration. While fruits in the control group exhibited around 40% calyx browning on day 2, eggplant fruit in the LTC + MeJA group did not exhibit 40% calyx browning until day 8. Thus, fruits treated with LTC + MeJA had significantly reduced levels of calyx browning relative to the untreated, control fruit (Fig. 1b).

Calyx samples in all samples, regardless of treatment, also exhibited a decrease in chlorophyll content over the course of storage. The LTC + MeJA treatment, however, significantly (p < 0.05) delayed chlorophyll degradation relative to the control group (Fig. 1c). Chlorophyll content decreased from 0.213 mg g−1 to 0.198 mg g−1 by day 8 in the LTC + MeJA group, while the final chlorophyll content in the control group was around 0.175 mg g−1.

Effect of a combined LTC and MeJA treatment on MDA content

An increasing accumulation of MDA was observed in both calyx (Fig. 2a) and pulp (Fig. 2b) tissues of all treatment groups over the 8 days of storage. Compared to the untreated control group, however, the LTC + MeJA group exhibited a significantly (p < 0.05) lower accumulation of MDA. The MDA content in the eggplant calyx and pulp of the LTC + MeJA group was 1.947 nmol g−1 and 0.964 nmol g−1, respectively, while the MDA level in the untreated, control group for the same tissues was 2.337 nmol g−1 and 1.138 nmol g−1, respectively. These results demonstrate that the combined treatment of eggplants with LTC and MeJA effectively inhibited an increase in MDA content, indicating that this treatment prevented or delayed a loss of membrane integrity in eggplant fruit stored at 4 °C.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 2

Open in a new tab

MDA content in the a calyx and b pulp tissues in the LTC + MeJA, LTC, and control (CK) groups of eggplants during storage at 4 °C. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 3). The letters a, b, and c indicate significant differences between the three pairs of treatment groups, CK and LTC + MeJA, CK and LTC, and LTC and LTC + MeJA, respectively

Effect of a combined LTC and MeJA treatment on total phenolic content

The level of total phenolic compounds significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in both calyx (Fig. 3a) and pulp (Fig. 3b) tissues with increasing storage time. Eggplant calyxes in the LTC + MeJA group, however, had a significantly higher level of total phenolic compounds than eggplant fruit in the control group throughout the storage period. The level of total phenolic compounds decreased by 20.66% and 31.63%, in the LTC + MeJA group versus the untreated, control group, relative to initial values. The total phenolic content of pulp tissue in the LTC + MeJA group remained steady from day 2 to day 8 of storage, while the phenolic levels in the control group decreased markedly. The total phenolic levels in LTC + MeJA and control treatment groups on day 8 was11.72 mg CAE 100 g−1 and 9.19 mg CAE 100 g−1, respectively.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 3

Open in a new tab

Total phenolic content in the a calyx and b pulp tissues in the LTC + MeJA, LTC, and control (CK) groups of eggplant during storage at 4 °C. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 3). The letters a, b, and c indicate significant differences between the three pairs of treatment groups, CK and LTC + MeJA, CK and LTC, and LTC and LTC + MeJA, respectively

Gene expression and PPO enzyme activity

PPO activity gradually increased in both the calyx (Fig. 4a) and pulp (Fig. 4c) tissues with increasing storage time, regardless of treatment. The pulp and calyx tissue in the control group, however, exhibited a 1.17 times higher level of PPO activity (p < 0.05) than the LTC + MeJA group by the end of storage period (day 8). The relative expression of the PPO gene in calyx tissues gradually increased with increasing storage time (Fig. 4b). The relative expression of the PPO gene in pulp tissues of LTC + MeJA group reached a maximum on day 4 and thereafter decreased, while in the control group, PPO expression reached a peak value on day 2 (Fig. 4d), at which time it was 72.18% higher than in the LTC + MeJA samples. The LTC + MeJA group exhibited a significantly (p < 0.05) lower level of relative PPO gene expression throughout storage than the control group.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 4

Open in a new tab

a PPO activities and b PPO gene relative expression in the calyx, c PPO activity and d PPO gene relative expression in the pulp in the LTC + MeJA, LTC, and control (CK) groups during storage at 4 °C. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 3). The letters a, b, and c indicate significant differences between the three pairs of treatment groups, CK and LTC + MeJA, CK and LTC, and LTC and LTC + MeJA, respectively

Relative expression level of antioxidant genes and enzyme activity

POD enzyme activity gradually increased with increasing storage time in all samples, regardless of treatment (Fig. 5a). Compared to the control group, however, a significantly (p < 0.05) higher level of POD enzyme activity was observed in the LTC + MeJA group, with POD activity in the LTC and LTC + MeJA treatment being 1.13 and 1.32 times greater than in the control group, respectively, at the end of the storage period (8 days). CAT activity in eggplant fruit subjected to LTC or LTC + MeJA treatments were also considerably higher compared to the control group (Fig. 5c). Peak CAT activity was observed on day 4 in the control group, while it was observed on day two in the LTC + MeJA group and was 40.62% higher than the peak value in the control group. Relative expression of the POD gene increased in stored eggplant with increasing storage time (Fig. 5b). The LTC + MeJA group exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher relative gene expression levels, however, than in the control group. Relative expression of the CAT gene in the LTC + MeJA group increased rapidly and reached a maximum after 4 days and then decreased thereafter. In contrast, CAT expression in the control group reached a peak value on day 2 (Fig. 5d). The relative expression of the CAT gene in the LTC + MeJA group was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in the control group and was approximately 3.80 times greater than in the control group.

Fig. 5.

Fig. 5

Open in a new tab

a POD activity, b POD gene relative expression, c CAT activities and d CAT gene relative expression in the pulp in the LTC + MeJA, LTC, and control (CK) groups during storage at 4 °C. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 3). The letters a, b, and c indicate significant differences between the three pairs of treatment groups, CK and LTC + MeJA, CK and LTC, and LTC and LTC + MeJA, respectively

Discussion

Eggplant fruits are susceptible to CI when stored for prolonged periods at low temperatures (Fallik et al. 1995). Previous studies have indicated that MeJA enhances the chilling tolerance of cowpeas (Fan et al. 2016a, b). LTC has also been shown to effectively delay the development of CI in mangoes (Zhang et al. 2017) and maintain the quality of grapefruit (Chaudhary et al. 2015). In the current study, an LTC treatment followed by the application of 10 μmol L−1 of MeJA clearly delayed the progression of CI in eggplant fruits stored at 4 °C. The CI index and calyx injury rate in MeJA+LTC group of eggplants was significantly lower than those in the control group. This finding is similar to results obtained by Jin et al. (2012), who reported that a combined treatment of LTC and MeJA prevented the development of CI and prolonged the shelf life of loquat fruit. As shown in Fig. 6, the CI index was positively correlated with calyx browning index, MDA content, PPO activity, but negatively correlated with chlorophyll content, total phenolics content, as well as CAT gene expression and enzyme in eggplant.

Fig. 6.

Fig. 6

Open in a new tab

Correlation analysis between measured indices and CI index in C.(Calyx) and P.(pulp)

Tissue browning is a common CI symptom in horticultural crops, which is especially relevant to long-term storage. Visual indicators of CI in eggplant are browning of the calyx and pulp tissue, and pitting on the fruit surface, all of which greatly decrease eggplant fruit quality (Massolo et al. 2011). The discoloration induced by chilling injury in crops is often related to enzymatic browning, which is due to the conversion of phenolic compounds to o-quinones, which are further polymerized to brown polymers (Luo et al. 2012). Pennycooke et al. (2005) demonstrated that cold pretreatment induced a higher level of total phenolics in petunia plants, which suggested that some form of antioxidant protection was induced by the LTC. In the current study, total phenolic content was negatively correlated with the CI index. Total phenolic levels continuously increased in the calyx and pulp tissues of eggplant fruit with increasing storage time. The total phenolic content in the pulp and calyx tissues of the LTC + MeJA group, however, was significantly higher than in the control group. These data suggest that phenolic compounds were oxidized during the browning process, and that the LTC + MeJA treatment inhibited the degree of browning in eggplant during low temperature storage. PPO oxidizes phenolic substrates, which subsequently promotes browning and blackening under chilling conditions (Pongprasert et al. 2011). These authors reported that PPO activity was induced when banana fruits were stored at chilling temperatures. previous research has demonstrated that a LTC treatment effectively inhibited PPO activity in ‘Huangguan’ pears stored at low temperatures (Li et al. 2017), and Siboza et al. (2014) found that MeJA treatment inhibited PPO activity in cold-stored lemon fruit. In our study, a positive correlation between PPO activity and the CI index was observed. PPO enzyme activity and gene expression were markedly lower in eggplant pulp and calyx tissues in the LTC + MeJA group relative to other groups (control and LTC). These data clearly indicate that CI can be alleviated with a LTC + MeJA treatment. A higher level of chlorophyll content and lower degree of calyx browning in eggplant receiving the LTC + MeJA treatment also demonstrated that the combined treatment effectively inhibits the browning of eggplant during cold storage.

MDA is a by-product of lipid peroxidation, which affects enzyme activity and cell membranes, and serves as an indicator of chilling injury in plants. Thus, MDA levels may reflect the degree of CI (Shi et al. 2018). The level of MDA in pepper fruit increases significantly at low-temperature (Ding and Wang 2018), and MeJA-fumigated okraexhibit lower levels of MDA accumulation in pericarp tissues of chilled pods (Boontongto, et al. 2007). Our present results demonstrated that LTC + MeJA treated fruit had a significantly lower accumulation of MDA in eggplant calyx and pulp tissues, indicating that the combined treatment may help to maintain membrane integrity and enhance chilling tolerance in eggplants during cold storage.

Chilling is also an oxidative stress, in which exposure of cold-sensitive horticultural crops to low-temperatures leads to adverse changes in membrane structure and a reduction in the antioxidant enzyme activity (Lee and Lee 2000; Xu et al. 2008). The oxidative stress that occurs in response to low temperatures is believed to be mediated by ROS (Donghee and Chinbum 2000). Plants possess a complex antioxidative defense system that serves to protect them against the adverse accumulation and impact of ROS (Lin et al. 2004). POD plays an important role in the protection of plant tissues and cells and is one of the important antioxidant enzymes in plants (Ding and Cao 2012). The enhancement of H2O2 levels resulting from chilling stress can be alleviated by CAT activity (Donghee and Chinbum 2000). Previous studies have indicated a positive relationship between antioxidant enzyme activity and chilling tolerance in harvested crops (Cao et al. 2009). Previous research has shown that tomatoes receiving an MeJA treatment increased oxidative stress tolerance by regulating the production of ROS and enhancing CAT gene expression (Zhu and Tian 2012). Wang (1995) demonstrated that treatment of zucchini with MeJA also increased CAT activty, which was closely correlated with a reduction in CI. LTC treatment has also been shown to enhance antioxidant enzyme activity in kiwifruit (Yang et al. 2014). A combined MeJA and LTC treatment was reported to maintain the balance between the formation and detoxification of ROS, thereby preventing the development of CI in loquat fruits (Jin et al. 2012). The current study demonstrated that a LTC + MeJA treatment effectively maintained POD and CAT activity and expression of the corresponding genes in eggplant fruit exposed to low-temperature stress, thereby decreasing the CI index. Thus, a LTC + MeJA treatment may represent a useful method for improving the chilling tolerance of eggplants by increasing the relative level of gene expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes.

Conclusion

A combined MeJA + LTC treatment of eggplants was found to decrease the CI index and calyx browning index, and inhibit the degradation of chlorophyll in the calyx. The mechanism underlying these observations may be the promotion of antioxidant enzyme activity and an increase in the relative expression of their corresponding genes, thus resulting in an enhanced protective effect against oxidative stress. The combined treatment of eggplants with MeJA and LTC may represent an effective method of enhancing their chilling tolerance and visual during postharvest storage at low temperatures.

Acknowledgments

The financial support provided by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0400901), the China Agriculture Research System Project (CARS-23), Special innovation ability construction fund of Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (20180404 and 20180705), the Young Investigator Fund of Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (201709). The authors are also thankful to the critical reading of the manuscript by Dr. Michael Wisniewski, USDA-ARS-Appalachian Fruit Research Station.

Footnotes

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Junyan Shi, Jinhua Zuo and Dongying Xu have contributed equally to this work.

Contributor Information

Junyan Shi, Email: shijunyan0130@126.com.

Jinhua Zuo, Email: zuojinhua@126.com.

Dongying Xu, Email: 2691236659@qq.com.

Qing Wang, Phone: +86-10-51503058, Email: wangqing@nercv.org.

References

  1. Boontongto N, Srilaong V, Uthairatanakij A, Wongsaree C, Aryusuk K. Effect of methyl jasmonate on chilling injury of okra pod. Acta Hort. 2007;746(746):323–328. doi: 10.17660/actahortic.2007.746.37. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cao S, Zheng Y, Wang K, Jin P, Rui H. Methyl jasmonate reduces chilling injury and enhances antioxidant enzyme activity in postharvest loquat fruit. Food Chem. 2009;115(4):1458–1463. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.01.082. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chaudhary PR, Jayaprakasha GK, Porat R, Patil BS. Low temperature conditioning reduces chilling injury while maintaining quality and certain bioactive compounds of ‘Star Ruby’ grapefruit. Food Chem. 2015;153:243–249. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.12.043. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cheong JJ, Choi YD. Methyl jasmonate as a vital substance in plants. Trends Genet. 2003;19(7):409–413. doi: 10.1016/s0168-9525(03)00138-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Concellón A, Añón MC, Chaves AR. Effect of chilling on ethylene production in eggplant fruit. Food Chem. 2005;92:63–69. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.04.048. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ding XY, Cao JK. Characteristics of peroxidase from fruit and vegetable research progress. Food Sci Technol. 2012;37(10):62–66. doi: 10.13684/j.cnki.spkj.2012.10.042. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ding F, Wang R. Amelioration of postharvest chilling stress by trehalose in pepper. Sci Hortic. 2018;232:52–56. doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2017.12.053. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  8. Donghee L, Chinbum L. Chilling stress-induced changes of antioxidant enzymes in the leaves of cucumber: in gel enzyme activity assays. Plant Sci. 2000;159(1):75–85. doi: 10.1016/s0168-9452(00)00326-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fallik E, Temkin-Gorodeiski N, Grinberg S, Davidson H. Prolonged low-temperature storage of eggplants in polyethylene bags. Postharvest Biol Technol. 1995;5(1–2):83–89. doi: 10.1016/0925-5214(94)00010-p. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fan L, Shi J, Zuo J, Gao L, Lv J, Wang Q. Methyl jasmonate delays postharvest ripening and senescence in the non-climacteric eggplant (solanum melongena L.) fruit. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2016;120:76–83. doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2016.05.010. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fan L, Wang Q, Lv J, Gao L, Zuo J, Shi J. Amelioration of postharvest chilling injury in cowpea (Vigna sinensis) by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments. Sci Hortic. 2016;203:95–101. doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2016.03.010. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fung RWM, Wang CY, Smith DL, Gross KC, Tian MS. MeSA and MeJA increase steady-state transcript levels of alternative oxidase and resistance against chilling injury in sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) Plant Sci. 2004;166:711–719. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2003.11.009. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hodges DM, Lester GE, Munro KD, Toivonen PMA. Oxidative stress: importance for postharvest quality. HortScience. 2004;39(5):924–929. doi: 10.13140/2.1.3929.1526. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  14. Jin P, Wang K, Shang H, Tong J, Zheng Y. Low-temperature conditioning combined with methyl jasmonate treatment reduces chilling injury of peach fruit. J Sci Food Agric. 2009;89(10):1690–1696. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.3642. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  15. Jin P, Mu-Wen L, Sun CC, Zheng YH, Ming AS. Effects of methyl jasmonate in combination with low temperature conditioning on chilling injury and active oxygen metabolism in loquat fruits. Acta Hortic Sin. 2012;39(2):461–468. doi: 10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2012.03.010. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lee DH, Lee CB. Chilling stress-induced changes of antioxidant enzymes in the leaves of cucumber: in gel enzyme activity assays. Plant Sci. 2000;159:75–85. doi: 10.1016/s0168-9452(00)00326-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Li D, Cheng Y, Dong Y, Shang Z, Guan J. Effects of low temperature conditioning on fruit quality and peel browning spot in ‘Huangguan’ pears during cold storage. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2017;131:68–73. doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2017.05.005. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lin K, Weng CC, Lo HF, Chen JT. Study of the root antioxidative system of tomatoes and eggplants under waterlogged conditions. Plant Sci. 2004;167(2):355–365. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2004.04.004. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  19. Luo Z, Wu X, Xie Y, Chen C. Alleviation of chilling injury and browning of postharvest bamboo shoot by salicylic acid treatment. Food Chem. 2012;131(2):456–461. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.09.007. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  20. Massolo JF, Concellón A, Chaves AR, Vicente AR. 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) delays senescence, maintains quality and reduces browning of non-climacteric eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) fruit. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2011;29:10–15. doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2010.08.007. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  21. Pennycooke JC, Cox S, Stushnoff C. Relationship of cold acclimation, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity with chilling tolerance in petunia (Petunia, × hybrida) Environ Exp Bot. 2005;53(2):225–232. doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2004.04.002. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  22. Pongprasert N, Sekozawa Y, Sugaya S, Gemma H. A novel postharvest UV–C treatment to reduce chilling injury (membrane damage, browning and chlorophyll degradation) in banana peel. Sci Hortic. 2011;130(1):73–77. doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2011.06.006. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sala JM. Involvement of oxidative stress in chilling injury in cold-stored mandarin fruits. Postharvest Biol Technol. 1998;13:255–261. doi: 10.1016/s0925-5214(98)00011-8. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  24. Shi JY, Gao LP, Zuo JH, Wang Q, Fan LL. Exogenous sodium nitroprusside treatment of broccoli florets extends shelf life, enhances antioxidant enzyme activity, and inhibits chlorophyll-degradation. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2016;116:98–104. doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2016.01.007. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  25. Shi JY, Zuo JH, Zhou FH, Gao LP, Wang Q, Jiang AL. Low-temperature conditioning enhances chilling tolerance and reduces damage in cold-stored eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) fruit. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2018;141:33–38. doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2018.03.007. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  26. Siboza XI, Bertling I, Odindo AO. Salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate improve chilling tolerance in cold-stored lemon fruit (Citrus limon) J Plant Physiol. 2014;171(18):1722–1731. doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2014.05.012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Wang CY. Effect of temperature preconditioning on catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in chilled zucchini squash. Postharvest Biol Technol. 1995;5:67–76. doi: 10.1016/0925-5214(94)00020-s. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wang Q, Ding T, Zuo JH, Gao LP, Fan LL. Amelioration of postharvest chilling injury in sweet pepper by glycine betaine. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2016;112:114–120. doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2015.07.008. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  29. Wang YX, Gao LP, Wang Q, Zuo JH. Low temperature conditioning combined with methyl jasmonate can reduce chilling injury in bell pepper. Sci Hortic. 2019;243:434–439. doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2018.08.031. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  30. Wasternack C, Parthier B. Jasmonate-signalled plant gene expression. Trends Plant Sci. 1997;2(8):302–307. doi: 10.1016/s1360-1385(97)89952-9. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  31. Xu PL, Guo YK, Bai JG, Shang L, Wang XJ. Effects of long-term chilling on ultrastructure and antioxidant activity in leaves of two cucumber cultivars under low light. Physiol Plant. 2008;132(4):467–478. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3054.2007.01036.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Yang Q, Zhang Z, Rao J, Wang Y, Sun Z, Ma Q, Dong XQ. Low-temperature conditioning induces chilling tolerance in ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity and regulating en-dogenous hormones levels. J Sci Food Agric. 2014;93(15):3691–3699. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.6195. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Zaro MJ, Keunchkarian S. Changes in bioactive compounds and response to postharvest storage conditions in purple eggplants as affected by fruit developmental stage. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2015;96(2):110–117. doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2014.05.012. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  34. Zhang Z, Zhu Q, Hu M, Gao Z, An F, Li M, Jiang YM. Low-temperature conditioning induces chilling tolerance in stored mango fruit. Food Chem. 2017;219:76–84. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.09.123. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Zhou XH, Liu J, Zhang Y. Selection of appropriate reference genes in eggplant for quantitative gene expression studies under different experimental conditions. Sci Hortic. 2014;176:200–207. doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2014.07.010. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  36. Zhu Z, Tian SP. Resistant responses of tomato fruit treated with exogenous methyl jasmonate to Botrytis cinerea infection. Sci Hortic. 2012;142:38–43. doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2012.05.002. [DOI] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Food Science and Technology are provided here courtesy of Springer

RESOURCES