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

Abstract 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.