Cinnamon bark oil application and modified atmosphere packaging alleviates chilling injury, ethylene production and maintains antioxidant system in persimmons

Persimmon fruit is highly susceptible to chilling injury (CI) during cold storage. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of cinnamon bark oil (CBO, 4 μM) fumigation, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), and a combination of CBO and MAP on CI of 'Fuyu' persimmons. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis revealed changes in the peel surface of CBO fumigated persimmons. Peel and flesh CI incidence and CI index were significantly reduced with a combined application of CBO and MAP. CBO + MAP exhibited lower ethylene production, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, maintained higher flavonoids, and upregulated the ascorbate glutathione cycle via preserving high levels of ascorbic acid and glutathione, as well as activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) in persimmons. Overall, CBO + MAP improves CI tolerance by mitigating ethylene production and oxidative stress in persimmon fruit.