Microstructural study of chilling injury alleviation by 1-methylcyclopropene in persimmon

Abstract

The storage of persimmon cv. Rojo Brillante (Diospyros kaki L.) at low temperatures is limited by the susceptibility to chilling injury (CI), the main symptom being a drastic reduction of firmness when the fruit are transferred from low to moderate temperature. 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an ethylene action inhibitor, has been shown to alleviate CI of persimmon, prolonging the storage period. In this article, the microstructural changes produced in the flesh of chilling-injured persimmon and fruit treated with 1-MCP were studied. The drastic softening displayed by chilling-injured fruit was related to a loss of cell wall integrity as well as to low intercellular adhesion. 1-MCP treatment alleviated CI by preserving the fruit firmness; it was linked to a preservation of the cell wall's integrity and to a higher intercellular adhesion observed during storage at low temperatures as well as when fruit were transferred to shelf temperatures.