Postharvest H2O2 treatment affects flavor quality, texture quality and ROS metabolism of ‘Hongshi’ kiwifruit fruit kept at ambient conditions

• H 2 O 2 accelerated the ripening of postharvest kiwifruit. • H 2 O 2 accelerated the changes of flavor and texture characteristics of postharvest kiwifruit. • H 2 O 2 altered the ROS metabolism of postharvest kiwifruit. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 0.5 M hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) on flavor, texture quality and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism in harvested ‘Hongshi’ kiwifruit. Results demonstrated that H 2 O 2 accelerated changes in flavor detected by electronic tongue (e-tongue) and electronic nose (e-nose). In addition, H 2 O 2 treatment promoted fruit softening, as evidenced by an earlier increment in the activities of α-amylase, total amylase, pectin lyase, and pectin methylesterase. There were higher levels of superoxide anion (O 2 •− ) and protein carbonylation in H 2 O 2 -treated fruit, even though H 2 O 2 prompted the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) during the initial storage but decreased the activities dramatically during later storage. These results indicate that H 2 O 2 accelerates flavor formation and softening by regulating ROS metabolism in kiwifruit.