Effect of melatonin on biochemical changes, antioxidant system and oxidative membrane damage of Indian guava (cv. Barafkhana) during cold storage

Menaka, M and Asrey, Ram and Nirmal Kumar, M and Varghese, Eldho and Sethi, Shruti and Vinod, B R and Ahamad, Sajeel and Goswami, A K (2024) Effect of melatonin on biochemical changes, antioxidant system and oxidative membrane damage of Indian guava (cv. Barafkhana) during cold storage. South African Journal of Botany, 169. pp. 95-108. ISSN 1727-9321

Text South African Journal of Botany_2024_Eldho Varghese.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (3MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Guava fruit is an abundant source of phytonutrients namely, vitamin C, carotenoids, minerals and polyphenols. However, due to its climacteric nature, fruit are highly perishable and susceptible to low temperature storage resulting in poor shelf life. The current investigation emphasizes the antioxidant potential of melatonin (MT) on ripening and quality of guava (cv. Barafkhana) fruit during cold storage. Physiologically mature fruit were immersed in MT solutions (200, 400, 600, and 800 μmol L−1) for 30 min at 20 ± 2 °C. Subsequently, the fruit were stored in cold storage at 10 ± 1 °C and 85–90 % relative humidity for 20 days. In results, MT at 600 μmol L−1 significantly suppressed the ethylene evolution and respiration rate, and reduced weight loss, while retaining firmness. Also, higher levels of total soluble solids, total sugars and total chlorophyll were retained in MT treated fruit over control. Bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid, total phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity were high in fruit subjected to MT treatment. Furthermore, exogenous MT application prevented the accumulation of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide, indicating a potential inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and oxidative damage. Moreover, MT application boosted the scavenging capacity of ROS by enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase. The multivariate statistical approaches such as principal component analysis and Pearson's correlation coefficient also confirmed that MT (600 μmol L−1) is a potential novel phytohormone to preserve the sensory quality of guava fruit during cold storage via stimulating antioxidant system.

Actions (login required)

View Item