Effect of electron beam radiation on disease resistance and quality of harvested mangoes

• Published in: Radiation physics and chemistry (Oxford, England : 1993) England : 1993), 2021-03, Vol.180, p.109289, Article 109289
• Main Authors: Truc, Nguyen Trung, Uthairatanakij, Apiradee, Srilaong, Varit, Laohakunjit, Natta, Jitareerat, Pongphen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accumulation; Ammonia; Chitinase; Electron beams; Enzymes; Food quality; Fruits; Hydrogen peroxide; Ionizing radiation; Mangifera indica L; Mangoes; Peroxidase; Phenylalanine; Plant defense enzymes; Postharvest diseases; Radiation tolerance; Respiration; Shelf life
• ISSN: 0969-806X; 1879-0895
• DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2020.109289

Postharvest disease is a major problem in mangoes, affecting fruit quality, reducing shelf life and negatively impacting exports. To minimize the disease and maintain fruit quality, the effect of electron beam (E-beam) radiation on anthracnose disease, plant defense enzymes, and fruit quality was investigated. Mango fruit cv. Nam Dok Mai Si-Thong was exposed to an E-beam of 0.5 kGy and stored at 13 °C for 16 d. Non-exposed fruit served as the control. The E-beam treatment demonstrated reduction of disease incidence and severity by inducing the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and the activities of plant defense enzymes such as peroxidase, β-1, 3-glucanase, and chitinase during late storage except for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and did not affect the accumulation of the total phenolic content. The respiration rate and ethylene production of the fruit increased immediately after, triggered by E-beam treatment. Later, the respiration rate was significantly suppressed compared to those fruit with non-treatment until the end of storage. The treatment significantly maintained fruit quality with regard to firmness, slowdown in decrease of titratable acid, and retardation in the increase of total soluble solids; however, it did not affect vitamin C content. This is a preliminary experiment to establish that E-beam can alleviate postharvest disease development via hydrogen peroxide and the activities of plant defense enzymes while maintaining fruit quality. •E-beam reduced postharvest diseases by inducing plant defense enzymes.•E-beam triggered the increase of H2O2, respiration and C2H4 production immediately.•E-beam maintained the firmness, retarded the increase of TSS.•E-beam did not affect ethylene production and vitamin C content during storage.