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Calcium chloride postharvest treatment delays the ripening and softening of papaya fruit
Author(s) -
Gao Qiyang,
Tan Qinqin,
Song Zunyang,
Chen Weixin,
Li Xueping,
Zhu Xiaoyang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of food processing and preservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.511
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1745-4549
pISSN - 0145-8892
DOI - 10.1111/jfpp.14604
Subject(s) - ripening , postharvest , ethylene , softening , calcium , chemistry , horticulture , salinity , food science , biology , biochemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , composite material , ecology , catalysis
Papaya fruits ripen and deteriorate rapidly after harvest. It is well established that the calcium treatment delays fruit ripening. However, the regulation of fruit ripening by calcium treatment in papaya remains unclear. In the present study, we investigate the effect of calcium chloride treatment (2.5% CaCl 2 solution immersion for 15 min), which significantly delayed the ripening of papaya fruit. Fruit yellowing was delayed by 4 days in CaCl 2 ‐treated fruits compared with control. CaCl 2 treatment significantly delayed loss in fruit firmness and an increase in the total soluble solid content, relative conductivity, and ethylene peak, as well as reduced ethylene production. It inhibited the activity of cell wall degrading enzymes and the expression of cell wall softening‐related genes and ethylene signal pathway‐related genes. These findings indicate that the CaCl 2 treatment delays the ripening and softening of papaya fruits by inhibiting the expression of enzymes and genes related to cell wall degradation and ethylene signal transduction. Practical applications Papaya is an economically important fruit crop cultivated worldwide. These fruits ripen and deteriorate rapidly after harvest. Calcium chloride treatment (2.5% CaCl 2 solution immersion for 15 min) studied in the present study significantly delayed the ripening of papaya fruit. The calcium treatment is easy to operate and control and is effective in maintaining fruit quality and reducing postharvest losses of papaya. It is a safe and non‐toxic alternative to chemical treatment for fruit storage and transportation.