Zhaojun Ban

Effect of Exogenous Nitro Oxide on Chilling Tolerance, Polyamine, Proline, and γ-Aminobutyric Acid in Bamboo Shoots (Phyllostachys praecox f. prevernalis)

The effects of exogenous nitro oxide (NO) on chilling resistance and the metabolism of polyamine, proline, and γ-aminobutyric acid of bamboo shoots were investigated. Bamboo shoots were dipped in 0.07 mM sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and stored at 1 °C for 56 days. During the storage, the development of chilling injury of SNP treated bamboo shoots was inhibited with decreased accumulation of malonaldehyde and electrical leakage. At the end of storage, the chilling injury incidence of treated bamboo shoots decreased by 37.9% while their malonaldehyde content and electrical leakage were 8.8% and 18.6% lower than that of the control, respectively. Interestingly, the endogenous NO, polyamines, γ-aminobutyric acid, and proline contents of treated bamboo shoot also significantly increased. Consistently, the metabolisms of these nitrogenous compounds were stimulated in treated bamboo shoots, according to their higher (20.2%-49.8%) related enzyme activities, including nitric oxide synthase, arginine decarboxylase, ornithine decarboxylase, glutamate decarboxylase, orn-δ-aminotransferase, and Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase. The results indicated that the SNP treatment enhanced chilling tolerance of bamboo shoots, which might associate with the activated metabolism of polyamines, γ-aminobutyric acid, and proline. SNP treatment might be an alternative technology to avoid chill injury during cold storage of bamboo shoots.

Aroma volatiles, sensory and chemical attributes of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) achenes and receptacle

Summary nThis study investigated the aroma volatiles, sensory and chemical attributes of strawberry achenes and receptacle. Samples were subjected to chemical analysis in terms of total soluble solids (TSS), total acidity (TA), total phenolics, anthocyanin content, antioxidant capacity and volatile compounds. Descriptive tests indicated that fresh whole fruit had the best overall quality. Chemical evaluations revealed that the receptacle emitted more aroma volatiles but exhibited lower TSS, phenolics and antioxidant capacity than the achenes. Moreover, achenes plus receptacle contained higher levels of phenolics and antioxidant capacity and showed moderate aroma volatile profiles than frozen whole fruit. The processing of juice showed the higher loss of phenolics, antioxidant capacity and aroma volatiles. Achene induced a significant increase in phenolics and antioxidant capacity. Aroma volatiles were reduced by freezing. These results suggested that the fresh whole fruit puree exhibited better overall quality, which had better sensory attributes, more aroma volatiles and higher antioxidant capacity.

The aroma volatile repertoire in strawberry fruit: a review: The aroma volatile repertoire in strawberry fruit

Aroma significantly contributes to flavor, which directly affects the commercial quality of strawberries. The strawberry aroma is complex as many kinds of volatile compounds are found in strawberries. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of the constituents and of the biosynthesis of strawberry volatile compounds, and the effect of postharvest treatments on aroma profiles. The characteristic strawberry volatile compounds consist of furanones, such as 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone and 4-methoxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone; esters, including ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, methyl butanoate, and methyl hexanoate; sulfur compounds such as methanethiol, and terpenoids including linalool and nerolidol. As for postharvest treatment, the present review discusses the overview of aroma volatiles in response to temperature, atmosphere, and exogenous hormones, as well as other treatments including ozone, edible coating, and ultraviolet radiation. The future prospects for strawberry volatile biosynthesis and metabolism are also presented.

Proteomic Studies on Fruit Ripening and Senescence

ABSTRACT Fruits containing beneficial nutrients are of significant economic importance. Due to the rapid development of “omic” technologies and strategies, the proteomic approach, in addition to genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, has attracted the attention of scientists to cover the comprehensive analysis of plant physiology and biology. The implementation of quantitative proteomic approach contributed to elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying fruit development, senescence, physiological disorders, and response to exogenous treatments. During the last decade, the isotope-labeled/label-free proteomic strategies have been applied in fruit science to obtain the near-complete investigations of quantifications and functions of fruit proteomes. Additionally, the recent implementation of mass spectrometry (MS)-based selected/multiple reaction monitoring (SRM/MRM) technology in targeted proteomics introduced the possibility of quantitative follow-up of specific protein targets in hypothesis-driven experiments. This review presents a comprehensive and up-dated overview of the application of proteomics in fruit ripening and development, fruit senescence, fruit physiological disorders, and oxidative stress, as well as the fruit proteomic response to postharvest exogenous treatment. The proteomic technologies and strategies in fruit science are summarized, and the panoramic views of differentially expressed proteins are discussed.