Anthocyanin treatment delays the senescence of blueberry fruit by regulating abscisic acid and anthocyanin synthesis processes

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this work was to examine the general effects of exogenous anthocyanins treatment on the synthesis of abscisic acid (ABA) and anthocyanin in blueberry fruit during postharvest storage under room temperature conditions. Materials and Methods Fresh blueberry fruit were treated with 3.0 g/L anthocyanins and stored at room temperature to investigate the effects of the treatment on fruit firmness and nutritional quality. The fruit firmness, ABA content, anthocyanin content and the relative expression levels of key genes were evaluated. Results The results demonstrated that anthocyanins treatment decreased the ABA level by inhibiting the expression of the VcNCED1 gene implicated in ABA synthesis. At the same time, the treatment increased the content of endogenous anthocyanin by promoting the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes such as VcC4H, VcF3H, VcF3’5’H, VcANS, and VcAT. Conclusions Postharvest anthocyanins treatment promoted the synthesis of endogenous anthocyanin, inhibited the accumulation of endogenous ABA, and delayed the senescence of blueberries by inhibiting fruit softening and the accumulation of active oxygen.