Differential effects of postharvest 1-MCP treatment on fruit quality and targeted major metabolites in long-term cold-stored 'Wonhwang' pears

Abstract

'Wonhwang' Asian pears could be intolerant to the incidence of physiological disorders during long-term storage. 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) technology is commonly used in the fruit industry to retain fruit quality during cold storage and the handling period. Thus, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of postharvest 1-MCP treatment on fruit physiological characteristics, physiological disorders, and the major metabolic responses of organic acids, soluble carbohydrates, and free amino acids in long-term cold-stored 'Wonhwang' pears. The 1-MCP treatment reduced flesh firmness but increased weight loss during storage. It also reduced the content of fructose, glucose, and malic acid but retained higher levels of sucrose and sorbitol during the second half of storage compared to the untreated control. The 1-MCP application enhanced the severity and incidence of cavities and water soaking during cold storage and increased methionine levels in cold-stored pears. The scores plot of principal component analysis indicated that 1-MCP treatment caused the response variables to diverge during the second half of storage. Additionally, the correlation coefficient network indicated that 1-MCP treatment differentially mediated the correlation coefficients of fruit quality parameters and targeted metabolites in long-term cold-stored pears. These results suggest that postharvest 1-MCP application affects the differential responses of fruit quality parameters in Asian pears stored at 0.5 degrees C for up to 6 months.