Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene on the aroma volatiles, polyphenols contents and antioxidant activity of post-harvest ripening peach (Prunus persica L.) fruit

Abstract

Peach is a perishable fruit that quickly loses its aroma and bioactive components during storage. In this article, we evaluated the effect of treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on the quality of stored peaches depending on shelf-life temperature. Ethylene production and aroma content were determined using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Polyphenol levels were monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the antioxidant capacity of peach samples was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. We found that treatment with 1-MCP could delay the ripening process and reduce the decay of peach fruit depending upon shelf-life temperature. Furthermore, treatment with 1-MCP efficiently delayed climacteric ethylene production, maintained high levels of total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity and characteristic lactones, including γ-decalactone, δ-decalactone, δ-octalatone, jasmine lactone and γ-dodecalactone. Moreover, treatment with 1-MCP also helped maintain high levels of chlorogenic acid, L-epicatechin, catechin, quercetin-3-rutinoside and neochlorogenic acid, as well as high antioxidant activity. Principal component analysis showed that treatment with 1-MCP during the second week of storage coincided with activity of lactones, polyphenols and antioxidants, which was consistent with changes in phytochemicals. These results revealed that treatment with 1-MCP offers potential as a preservation strategy for maintaining the flavour and nutritional quality of peach fruit under shelf-life conditions.