Augmenting apricot fruit quality and prolonging storage life via modulating ethylene metabolism and antioxidants with 1-(3-phenyl-propyl) cyclopropene and psyllium treatments

ABSTRACT

Apricot fruit are characterised by limited post-harvest storability, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and the interplay between psyllium treatment as a coating application method and 1-(3-phenyl-propyl) cyclopropene (1-PCP) as an ethylene inhibitor in enhancing the storability of apricot fruit during storage at 3°C and 90% relative humidity for 32 d. All treatments impacted fruit quality and storability in ‘Canino’ apricots. The combined application of both compounds led to a substantial reduction in fruit decay rate, weight loss, malondialdehyde content, and H₂O₂ levels. Furthermore, it contributed to improved fruit colouration and TSS content. Both psyllium and 1-PCP treatments, whether applied individually or in combination, notably reduced respiration rates, ethylene production, and the activity of key enzymes involved in ethylene biosynthesis (ACC-synthase and ACC-oxidase) when compared to the control group. Moreover, these treatments reduced oxidative stress, by affecting phenolic content, flavonoids, and antioxidant levels (both hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacity). Additionally, these treatments regulated related enzymes activities such as catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and phenylalanine-ammonia lyase. Hence, it is recommended to utilise psyllium and 1-PCP to enhance the storability of apricot fruit while maintaining their overall quality.

KEYWORDS:

• Antioxidant capacity
• Canino
• cyclopropene
• coating
• Prunus armeniaca

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The article includes the original contributions reported in the study; further questions can be referred to the corresponding authors.

Author contributions

Conceptualization, E.H.K. and J.M.A.-K.; visualisation, E.H.K.; investigation, E.H.K.; methodology, E.H.K.; resources, E.H.K. and J.M.A.-K.; data curation, E.H.K.; formal analysis, E.H.K.; writing – original draft, E.H.K.; writing – review and editing, E.H.K. and J.M.A.-K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2024.2338130

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The Deanship of Scientific Research, Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia [Project No. GRANT6129].