Effect of yeast saccharide treatment on nitric oxide accumulation and chilling injury in cucumber fruit during cold storage

• Published in: Postharvest biology and technology 2012-06, Vol.68, p.1-7
• Main Authors: Dong, Jufang, Yu, Qin, Lu, Li, Xu, Maojun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cell walls; Chilling; Chilling injury; Cold storage; Cold tolerance; Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.); Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Injuries; Leakage; Malondialdehyde; Nitric oxide; Nitric oxide (NO); Nitric-oxide synthase; Yeast saccharide (YS)
• ISSN: 0925-5214; 1873-2356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2012.01.005

► Yeast saccharide (YS) reduces MDA content, ion leakage and the chilling index in cold-stored cucumbers. ► YS triggers a marked increase in NO levels in cucumber fruit. ► An NO scavenger and NO synthase inhibitors diminish YS-enhanced cold tolerance. ► YS stimulates cold tolerance in cucumber fruit by triggering endogenous NO production. The effects of a saccharide fraction prepared from yeast cell walls on chilling injury and endogenous nitric oxide (NO) generation in cucumbers and the role of NO in yeast saccharide (YS)-induced cold tolerance of the fruit during postharvest storage, were investigated. Chilling injury index, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and ion leakage of fruit treated with 0.5g/L YS were significantly reduced as compared with those of control fruit stored at 4°C, showing that YS treatment may reduce chilling injury in cucumber. Moreover, treatment with YS triggered a marked increase in endogenous NO levels. An NO scavenger and NO synthase inhibitors not only diminished YS-triggered NO generation but also suppressed YS-enhanced cold tolerance. Together, our results indicate that YS could have potential postharvest application for reducing chilling injury in cucumber fruit. Furthermore, we found that YS-induced cold tolerance is linked with the induction of endogenous NO accumulation.