Effect of Salicylic Acid and 1-Methylcyclopropene Treatments on Fruit Quality and Cell Wall Hydrolases of ‘Hwangok’ Apples During Cold and Shelf-life Storage

We evaluated the effects of salicylic acid (SA) and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatments on fruit quality and the softening-related cell wall materials and hydrolase activities of ‘Hwangok’ apples during cold storage and cold storage plus seven days under shelf-life storage conditions. Fruits were dipped in a SA solution (3 mM), fumigated with 1-MCP (1 µL·L-1), or subjected to a combined SA+1-MCP treatment, followed by cold storage (0°C) and seven-day shelf-life storage (20°C) for up to 180 and 180 + 7 days. Under both storage conditions, fruits treated with 1-MCP and SA+1-MCP exhibited higher firmness and titratable acidity levels as well as lower internal ethylene concentrations, respiration rates, and weight loss values than the controls and SA-treated apples. The peel color indicators a* and b* were also lower in 1-MCP- and SA+1-MCP-treated apples than in controls and SA-treated apples. Total sugar and uronic acid levels were increasingly solubilized, and the activities of cell wall hydrolases, except for that of β-xylosidase, were higher in controls and SA-treated fruits than in 1-MCP and SA+1-MCP-treated apples. Therefore, our results suggest that the 1-MCP treatment is effective for maintaining fruit quality and extending the shelf life of ‘Hwangok’ apples during cold storage and under shelf-life storage conditions. The SA treatment alone did not extend the storage life of ‘Hwangok’ apples.