Modified atmosphere packaging and melatonin application alleviates chilling injury in ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruit by reducing ethylene production, mitigating ROS accumulation, and maintaining antioxidant system

Abstract

Sweet persimmon ‘Fuyu’ is highly sensitive to chilling injury (CI), which shortens its storage life. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of melatonin (MLT) dip treatment (100 µmol L⁻¹), modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), and combined application of MLT and MAP on reduction of CI in ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruit at 0 ± 1 °C up to 60 days. An untreated group of ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruit was used as a control. The combined application of MLT and MAP significantly reduced CI incidence and index on both peel and flesh of persimmon fruit. This treatment also resulted in lower ethylene production, weight loss, soluble solids content (SSC), and better retention of texture properties including hardness, chewiness, gumminess, cohesiveness, and springiness. The combined treatment mitigated oxidative stress by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and decreasing lipid peroxidation by lowering hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), malondialdehyde (MDA), and electrolyte leakage (EL), and reduced activities of lipoxygenase (LOX) and peroxidase (POD) enzymes. Both individual and combined MLT and MAP treatments preserved the antioxidant system by increasing the levels of flavonoids, total antioxidants, ascorbic acid, and glutathione content. These treatments also increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and glutathione reductase (GR) enzymes. In conclusion, the combination of MLT and MAP effectively alleviated CI, reduced ethylene production, and oxidative stress which resulted in the maintenance of fruit quality of ‘Fuyu’ persimmons and prolonged storage life up to 60 days during cold storage.