Glycine betaine: A non-toxic approach to enhancing postharvest quality and physiology of fruits and vegetables

Abstract

Glycine betaine (GB) is considered a residue-free and non-toxic method for the preservation of fruits and vegetables during postharvest storage. This strategy is especially useful in reducing significant postharvest losses resulting from accelerated aging and disease development. While cooling remains the primary postharvest preservation method, it often leads to chilling injury in many horticultural crops; therefore, GB treatment presents a promising alternative for postharvest storage. In this article, a comprehensive investigation was conducted on the recent exploitation of GB in the postharvest storage of fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the effects of GB on physiological traits, secondary metabolism, nutritional properties, ripening and senescence processes, antioxidant activities, enzyme functionalities, ethylene production, respiration rate, cell wall composition, and associated enzyme activities were studied. Moreover, the effects of GB treatment on the chilling injury, membrane fatty acid metabolism, and phenylpropanoid metabolism during the storage period were covered. This review could have significant implications for farmers and the food industry, as it could lead to the development of new techniques to improve the preservation and storage of fresh produces after harvest during the postharvest period.