Improvement of fruit quality and pedicel color of cold stored sweet cherry in response to pre-storage 1-methylciclopropene and chlorine dioxide treatments

Sweet cherry fruit is perishable which quality loss greatly influences consumers preference. To improve postharvest quality of sweet cherry, the effect of the combination of 1-methylciclopropene (1-MCP) plus chlorine dioxide (ClO2) was estimated by analyses of postharvest characteristics, bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity and pedicel quality changing. The fruit was treated separately or in combination with 1-MCP and ClO2, which were stored at 4 °C for 25 d. In comparison with individual treatment, the combination treatment of 1-MCP and ClO2 delayed senescence by suppressing decay incidence, softening and the reduction of ascorbic acid, total phenolic as well as titratable acid. In addition, combination of 1-MCP + ClO2 inhibited the decreasing of pedicel browning and pedicel force, maintained the higher content of chlorophyll more effectively. Moreover, 1-MCP or ClO2 individual treatment remarkably inhibited the expression of genes, including pheophytin pheophorbide hydrolase, chlorophyllase, pheophorbide a oxygenase and red chlorophyll catabolite reductase, associated to chlorophyll catabolism in cherry pedicel. Additionally, compared to the individual treatment, the combination of 1-MCP + ClO2 contributed the maximum efficacy, especially in the middle duration of storage. Overall, our preliminary study suggested that the combined treatment of 1-MCP + ClO2 might be a promising method to preserve postharvest quality in sweet cherry fruit.