Luteolin-induced activation of the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway contributes to quality maintenance and disease resistance of sweet cherry

• Luteolin alleviated quality deterioration and reduced disease incidence rate of sweet cherry. • Luteolin activated phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway and ameliorated antioxidant capacity. • Luteolin suppressed mycelial growth and pathogenicity of Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum . • Luteolin decreased patulin production of P. expansum. Redox imbalance and fungal infection are major causes for quality deterioration and postharvest decay of fruit. Therefore, it is crucial to activate intrinsic antioxidative capacity and disease responses for fruit quality maintenance. Although plant-derived flavonoids have been reported for health-promoting benefits, their roles in the maintenance of fruit quality remains largely unexplored. Here, we exogenously applied luteolin, a flavonoid substance, and further examined its efficacy in maintaining fruit quality and inhibiting fungal diseases in sweet cherry. The results showed that 100 or 200 mg/L luteolin maintained better organoleptic quality and decreased disease incidence during storage. Biochemical assays revealed that luteolin activated the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway and improved antioxidative capacity, thereby elevating total anthocyanin and flavonoid contents. Notably, luteolin inhibited mycelial growth of fungal pathogens and reduced patulin yield by Penicillium expansum . Collectively, these results suggest that luteolin is a promising alternative for maintaining better fruit quality and ameliorating disease resistance.