Hydrogen‐rich water alleviates chilling injury‐induced lignification of kiwifruit by inhibiting peroxidase activity and improving antioxidant system

Kiwifruit is prone to chilling stress and displays chilling injury (CI) such as lignification; however, the underlying physicochemical mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, the changes in levels of quality attributes, lignin biosynthesis, antioxidant system and sugars were compared in kiwifruit between control and hydrogen-rich water (HRW) treatments during cold storage for 90 days at 0 °C.The results reveal that HRW is an effective measure for CI alleviation, as indicated by the decrease in lignification level with repressed peroxidase activity but enhanced polyphenol oxidase activity. The amelioration of membrane peroxidation was suggested by the repressed levels of H2 O2 and malondialdehyde. They were accompanied by the improvement of antioxidant system, which is supported by the enhancement of sugars including fructose and glucose.In conclusion, HRW can enhance chilling tolerance, as suggested by the alleviation of lignification through inhibiting peroxidase activity and elevating the antioxidant system to attenuate membrane peroxidation. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.