Postharvest Biology and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Elucidating the pathogenic process of Botryosphaeria dothidea invasion in postharvest ‘Cuixiang’ kiwifruit causing soft rot disease","authors":"Qingchao Gao ,&nbsp;Xue Li ,&nbsp;Xinyu Tan ,&nbsp;Yuhan Zhu ,&nbsp;Di Wang ,&nbsp;Xueyan Ren ,&nbsp;Qingjun Kong","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2026.114154","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2026.114154","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soft rot is currently one of the most serious fungal diseases affecting the storage and marketing of postharvest ‘Cuixiang’ kiwifruit, predominantly caused by <em>Botryosphaeria dothidea</em> (<em>B. dothidea</em>). Regrettably, research into the pathogenicity of <em>B. dothidea</em> infecting kiwifruit remains in its infancy, necessitating urgent investigation into the behavioral characteristics of its pathogenic process. Firstly, this study optimized the conditions for inducing spore production of <em>B. dothidea</em>, which were achieved by exposing the fungus to UV_365 nm radiation for 72 h coupled with a 12 h light/12 h dark alternation in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium. During infection of kiwifruit, <em>B. dothidea</em> was capable of secreting cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) to destroy host cell structures, thereby accelerating the pathogenic process. Polygalacturonase (PG), polymethylgalacturonase (PMG) and cellulase (Cx) played a dominant role in pathogenic process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation revealed mycelium thickening with lesion formation at 72 h. In the detection of eight organic acids, the oxalic acid content in soft rot group (SR) was significantly higher than that in control group (CK) from the 2nd day, peaking at 1366.43 ± 32.79 mg/kg at the 4th day. It indicated that <em>B. dothidea</em> can acidified kiwifruit tissue environment by producing oxalic acid to enhance its pathogenicity. Overall, these findings indicate that PG, PMG, Cx and oxalic acid are critical virulence factors during <em>B. dothidea</em> infection of kiwifruit, providing some insights into the pathogenic mechanism of kiwifruit soft rot disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114154"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preharvest L-Phenylalanine spraying improves storage quality of fresh-cut muskmelons by maintaining reactive oxygen species homeostasis","authors":"Zixuan Wang ,&nbsp;Pengdong Xie ,&nbsp;Yang Li ,&nbsp;Botao Bai ,&nbsp;Yi Wang ,&nbsp;Yongcai Li ,&nbsp;Dov Prusky ,&nbsp;Yang Bi","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2026.114153","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2026.114153","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fresh-cut muskmelons have garnered significant attention due to the consumption trend of convenience and health, but they are prone to softening, browning and flavor deterioration, which limits their commercial value. <span><span>L</span></span>-Phenylalanine (<span>L</span>-Phe), the initial substrate for phenylpropane biosynthesis, is fundamentally important for plant stress resistance. This research investigated the impact of four consecutive (young fruit stage, early expansion stage, late expansion stage and mature stage) <span>L</span>-Phe spray throughout the melon fruit development phase on the postharvest quality of fresh-cut melons. The results indicated that <span>L</span>-Phe significantly increased the activities of NADPH oxidase (NOX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), enzymes related to the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle and the gene expression levels of aquaporins, it also promoted the accumulation of ascorbic acid (AsA), glutathione (GSH), total phenolics and flavonoids. This effectively eliminates excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduces the O₂^·- production rate and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels. Meanwhile, <span>L</span>-Phe treatment enhanced the scavenging activity against DPPH, ABTS⁺ and FRAP free radicals, suppressed the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced cell membrane permeability, ultimately delayed the decline in hardness and total soluble solids (TSS) content, stabilized color and mitigated quality deterioration during storage. In conclusion, preharvest spraying of <span>L</span>-Phe can effectively improve the quality of fresh-cut melons by maintaining the ROS homeostasis of fruit and enhancing their antioxidant capacity. This study presents a safe, low-cost and feasible new strategy for preserving the quality of fresh-cut fruit and vegetables.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114153"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"DNP and ATP-induced the variation of respiration metabolism participate in the regulation of perishability in fresh longan incurred by Phomopsis longanae Chi","authors":"Shucheng Li ,&nbsp;Yuzhao Lin ,&nbsp;Wen Lin ,&nbsp;Yifen Lin ,&nbsp;Ruiling Zhuo ,&nbsp;Yihui Chen ,&nbsp;Mengshi Lin ,&nbsp;Shiping Tian ,&nbsp;Boqiang Li ,&nbsp;Hetong Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study elucidates the impacts of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on the perishability of longan fruit infected with <em>Phomopsis longanae</em> Chi (<em>P. longanae</em>) through the modulation of respiratory metabolism. Compared with ‘Inoculation’ longans, ‘DNP + Inoculation’ samples exhibited accelerated fruit decay and inferior visual and edible quality, as evidenced by increased pericarp browning, pulp breakdown, titratable acidity, and reducing sugars, along with decreased commercial acceptability, sucrose, and total soluble sugar content. Additionally, this treatment elevated respiratory rates and levels of phosphoglucose isomerase, succinic dehydrogenase, cytochrome C oxidase, ascorbic acid oxidase, polyphenol oxidase, alternative oxidase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), reduced form of NAD, ubiquinone, and ubiquinol, but diminishing the values of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase + 6-phosphaogluconate dehydrogenase, NAD kinase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), and reduced form of NADP. In contrast, ‘ATP + Inoculation’ samples showed opposite trends. Collectively, these findings suggest that DNP treatment accelerated quality decline and fruit decay in longans infected by <em>P. longanae</em> infection through strengthening the embden-meyerhof-parnas, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and cytochrome pathway activities while inhibiting pentose phosphate pathway. Conversely, ATP treatment inhibited these processes, thereby mitigating pathogen-induced quality decline and fruit decay.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114149"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis of dynamic changes in non-volatile compounds during blueberry fruit ripening","authors":"Sen Cao ,&nbsp;Yu Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiaying Jin ,&nbsp;Zhibing Zhao ,&nbsp;Donglan Luo ,&nbsp;Liangjie Ba","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114072","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114072","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study integrated metabolism and transcriptomics to investigate the non-volatile metabolites in blueberries at different growth and development stages (green fruit stage -G, pink fruit stage -P, mature stage -B). Studies have shown that during the ripening process of fruits, the contents of TA, maltose, sucrose, fumaric acid and citric acid gradually decrease, while the contents of soluble sugar, glucose, fructose, oxalic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid and quinic acid increase. The contents of malic acid and malonic acid are the highest during the pink fruit stage and the lowest during the mature stage. The contents of serine, glutamic acid, leucine, valine and cysteine gradually increase, while the contents of lysine, alanine, threonine, proline and tryptophan show a downward trend. Transcriptional and metabolomic analyses revealed significant differences among the three groups. Subsequently, functional genes (<em>PP</em>PK, <em>PP</em>G6PD, <em>PP</em>PFK, <em>PP</em>TAA, <em>PP</em>PAL, <em>PP</em>STR, <em>PP</em>CHS, <em>PP</em>rbCL, <em>PP</em>GLDC) and four transcription factor families (MYB, bHLH, WRKY and AP2/ERF) were screened out to jointly establish the WGCNA co-expression network. It was found that the genes MYB1, bHLH1, bHLH3, AP2/ERF-RAV, AP2/ERF-ERF2, AP2/ERF-ERF3, AP2/ERF-ERF5, AP2/ERF-ERF6 and WRKY-2 were significantly regulated in the metabolism of non-volatile substances in blueberries. It can be seen from this that these transcription factors may act as key regulatory factors of the transcriptional network, playing a positive role in the growth and development of blueberries, and at the same time providing a new theoretical basis and ideas for the flavor changes of blueberries during the development process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114072"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145555212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fatty acid desaturation in chilling-sensitive and chilling-tolerant mandarin fruit during postharvest cold storage","authors":"Aurora Lozano-Omeñaca ,&nbsp;María-Jesús Rodrigo ,&nbsp;Dámaso Hornero-Méndez ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Zacarías","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fatty acid (FA) desaturation is a critical step in the response of plant tissues to low temperature stress. To unveil the role of FA desaturation in the natural tolerance or susceptibility of mandarin fruit to chilling injury (CI) during postharvest cold storage, we have investigated changes in FA content and composition, and in expression of ten genes involved in different steps of FA desaturation in the flavedo of the CI-sensitive Fortune mandarin and the CI-tolerant Nadorcott during 8 weeks of storage at 2 ºC. Transcriptomic analysis of the genes involved in key steps of FA desaturation revealed that eight of those were more highly expressed in the CI-sensitive mandarin than in the tolerant at harvest, and the expression of most of them declined during storage at 2 ºC. Content of total FA, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid, as well as the ratio of unsaturated/saturated FA (UFA/SFA), were also markedly higher in Fortune fruit at harvest than in Nadorcott, and remained superior during cold storage. Together, our results suggest that differences in FA metabolism between CI-sensitive and CI-tolerant mandarin are mainly determined by preharvest factors, probably as a response of sensitive genotypes to environmental conditions, that further modulate the changes in FA content, the unsaturation ratio and the expression of FA desaturase genes during subsequent postharvest storage at 2 ºC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114113"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiological and transcriptomic analysis of early petal fading in potted carnations during postharvest storage","authors":"Mariko Kondo ,&nbsp;Ryoichi Yano","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114124","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114124","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maintaining the vibrant blooming color is crucial to ensuring the market value of ornamental flowers. In this study, we evaluated the changes in petal color during postharvest storage at different temperatures using potted carnations (<em>Dianthus caryophyllus</em> L. cv. Momorina). The results indicated that 3 d of storage at 10 °C in the dark did not affect petal coloration, whereas storage at 23 °C under the same conditions caused petal fading. To identify the genes associated with petal fading, we performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis using petal color phenotype data based on the CIELAB system and transcriptomic data. Proton transmembrane transport genes, which potentially regulate vacuolar pH levels, were significantly overrepresented in the modules positively correlated with the <em>b</em>* color parameter (where low values indicate blue and high values indicate yellow). Petal pH increased after 3 d of storage at 23 °C, and was also positively correlated with petal lightness. A similar trend was also observed in cut carnations. For example, external pH treatment induced marked color changes in their petal discs, with anthocyanin-independent discoloration occurring at pH 6.0 but not at pH 4.0. These data suggest that increased vacuolar pH may contribute to petal fading independent of anthocyanin reduction. This study provides new insights into the regulatory mechanism underlying the coloration of carnation petals. In addition to anthocyanins, intracellular conditions, including pH levels, are considered important in preserving postharvest quality, extending vase life, and enhancing ornamental values.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114124"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145786630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sanxiapeptin inhibits Penicillium digitatum by affecting cell surface and ROS accumulation","authors":"Xiaoxuan Bai ,&nbsp;Jing Li ,&nbsp;Renqing Xiong ,&nbsp;Siyu Liu ,&nbsp;Run Liu ,&nbsp;Gaojie Zhu ,&nbsp;Yingping Huang ,&nbsp;Shiping Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The green mold caused by <em>Penicillium digitatum</em> was a prevalent postharvest disease of citrus, resulting huge economic losses every year. Sanxiapeptin, a promising peptide preservative against citrus green mold caused by <em>P. digitatum</em>, was studied for its antifungal mechanisms using <em>in-situ</em> biochemical analyses and RNA-seq. The results showed that Sanxiapeptin inhibited conidiophore development-related genes, reducing spore production and viability. It also down-regulates genes for hydrolytic enzymes<em>,</em> disrupting cell wall and membrane integrity, subsequently altering surface morphology. Moreover, antioxidant genes and enzyme activities were decreased, while superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide increased, leading to ROS burst. In conclusion, this study deeply explores the multiple antifungal mechanisms of Sanxiapeptin through molecular biological methods, demonstrating its ideal potential as a food preservative for controlling fungal disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114108"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145786649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by endophytic Burkholderia plantarii and their protection efficacy against postharvest tomato soft rot","authors":"Kangwei Xie ,&nbsp;Yusha Du ,&nbsp;Jiatong Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiujuan Gan ,&nbsp;Tieyi Hu ,&nbsp;Niqi Xie ,&nbsp;Xingyong Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tomatoes, a vital cash crop, are highly susceptible to postharvest soft rot caused by <em>Pectobacterium carotovorum</em>. Bio-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), generated via a green synthesis approach, offer a promising strategy for managing postharvest diseases due to their potent antibacterial properties. In this study, the endophytic <em>Burkholderia plantarii</em> BpMS90 was shown to reduce silver ions to form AgNPs (Bp-AgNPs). These nanoparticles exhibited characteristic surface plasmon resonance peaks between 400–450 nm and had an average size of 78.04 ± 29.66 nm. <em>In vitro</em> assays revealed that Bp-AgNPs had a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.625 ppm against <em>P. carotovorum</em> and demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against six additional bacterial species. Microstructural analysis indicated that Bp-AgNPs inhibited <em>P. carotovorum</em> proliferation by compromising cellular integrity. Treatment with Bp-AgNPs significantly decreased the incidence of tomato soft rot and minimized postharvest weight loss. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that Bp-AgNPs preserved the relative diversity of endophytic bacterial communities in postharvest tomatoes, notably sustaining the relative abundance of <em>Weissella</em> species in comparison to diseased tomatoes. Metabolomic correlation analysis revealed that <em>Weissella</em> abundance was positively associated with <span>L</span>-phenylalanine, citric acid, and <span>L</span>-tryptophan levels, metabolites implicated in postharvest disease resistance. These findings highlight the potential of biosynthetic Bp-AgNPs as effective antimicrobial agents and support their application in sustainable postharvest disease management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114141"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Postharvest application of glutathione and selenium and their combination enhances quality performance of chestnut","authors":"Nannan Dong ,&nbsp;Ling Wei ,&nbsp;Wanfeng Wu ,&nbsp;Yizhou Xiang ,&nbsp;Qiannan Hu ,&nbsp;Yaoqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Zisheng Luo ,&nbsp;Yunbin Jiang ,&nbsp;Li Li","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fresh chestnut is highly susceptible to postharvest browning and quality deterioration. Therein, the effect of postharvest application of exogenous sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃) and glutathione (GSH) and their combination on quality attributes of fresh chestnut during shelf-life was investigated in present study. Compared with those in the control group, chestnuts treated with Na₂SeO₃ and GSH on day 10 presented an increase in firmness of 90.9 % and a reduction in weight loss and browning index of 44.4 % and 5.1 %, respectively. The combination of Na₂SeO₃ and GSH enhanced nutritional quality and antioxidant performance by increasing the ascorbic acid (AsA) and GSH content and increasing the expression levels of <em>CmSOD</em> and <em>CmCAT</em> on day 20. The inorganic selenium (Se) in the GSH+Na₂SeO₃ group was predominantly selenite on day 0. After 20 days, inorganic Se was metabolized into organic Se (selenocysteine, methylselenocysteine, and selenomethionine). Our results indicated that the combination of Na₂SeO₃ and GSH enhanced antioxidant properties, promoted the accumulation of AsA and GSH, facilitated Se accumulation and biotransformation, and extended the shelf-life of chestnuts. Overall, this work provided a promising strategy to improve the postharvest storage quality and nutritional values of fresh chestnut.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114135"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulatory link of CaSGR–CaNOR controls fruit shelf-life in pepper","authors":"Soo Jeong Yu,&nbsp;Eun Soo Jeong,&nbsp;Soobin Lee,&nbsp;Je Min Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.postharvbio.2025.114107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>STAY-GREEN</em> (<em>SGR</em>), encoding the Mg-dechelatase, is a key genetic regulator of chlorophyll degradation in leaves and fruit. However, the extended functions of <em>SGR</em> in fruit ripening remain largely unexplored. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the <em>CaSGR</em> of brown peppers (<em>Capsicum</em> spp.), and co-segregated with the recessive brown fruit color in an F₂ population. The brown pepper accessions showed chlorophyll retention in the ripening fruit and increased shelf-life. <em>CaSGR</em>-silenced and brown peppers delayed ethylene-dependent leaf senescence. <em>CaSGR</em>-silenced fruit resulted in chlorophyll retention, reduced carotenoid content, increased firmness, and extended shelf-life. The gene expression of chlorophyll catabolic (<em>NOL</em>, <em>HCAR</em>, <em>PPH</em>, <em>PAO</em>, <em>CYP89A9</em>), carotenoid biosynthetic (<em>PSY1</em>, <em>PDS</em>, <em>ZISO</em>, <em>ZDS</em>, <em>CHYB</em>, <em>ZEP</em>, <em>CCS</em>), and cell wall degradation-related (<em>PG2a</em>, <em>CEL1</em>, <em>CEL2</em>, <em>EXP1</em>) genes was downregulated in the <em>CaSGR</em>-silenced fruit. In addition, the flavor volatiles were altered in the <em>CaSGR</em>-silenced fruit, characterized by an absence of hexanal, nonanal, and nonanoic acid, and the accumulation of 4-methylpentyl 3-methylbutanoate. Given that <em>CaSGR</em> regulates fruit ripening, <em>CaNOR</em>, a homologue of the tomato <em>NAC-NOR</em>, was selected as a candidate regulator of <em>CaSGR</em>. Transcriptional activation assay demonstrated that <em>CaNOR</em> acts as a positive regulator of <em>CaSGR</em> expression. Furthermore, silencing of <em>CaNOR</em> reduced chlorophyll degradation, carotenoid accumulation, and fruit softening. The expression of chlorophyll catabolic, carotenoid biosynthetic, and cell wall degradation-related genes was down-regulated in <em>CaNOR</em>-silenced fruit. Furthermore, the reciprocal reduction of each gene expression in the silenced fruit suggests that a regulatory link between <em>CaSGR</em> and <em>CaNOR</em> coordinates fruit ripening. These findings will be helpful for improving fruit shelf-life in pepper.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20328,"journal":{"name":"Postharvest Biology and Technology","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114107"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}