Prof.Peng Jin

Nanjing Agricultural University

Speech title：

Effects of physical and chemical treatments on the quality of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables

Abstract：

The effects of certain innovative treatments on the quality of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables were investigated. The physical treatments included cold plasma (CP) and ultraviolet C (UV-C) and the chemical treatments included methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and ethanol. The results of the analysis of quarter-sliced pitayas and strawberry wedges treated with CP demonstrated that CP was effective in the decontamination of these fresh-cut fruits and had no adverse effect on the sensory quality of them. The bacteriostatic activity of UV-C was also confirmed in strawberry wedges and fresh-cut red-fleshed radish in the present study. Both CP and UV-C increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in these fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, which played an important role in the synthesis of phenolic compounds induced by cutting. In addition, our results also showed that MeJA and ethanol treatments could maintain the quality and enhance the antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut produce, including pitayas and strawberries. MeJA promoted the accumulation of phenolic compounds in fresh-cut pitayas by regulating sugar content and energy status and ethanol increased the phenolics content through enhancing the activities of relevant enzymes in phenylpropanoid and ROS metabolism. Therefore, these innovative treatments hold promise as safe and effective postharvest technologies for maintaining the quality of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.

Keywords:

Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables; Quality; Cold plasma; Ultraviolet C; Methyl jasmonate; Ethanol