Effect of 1‐MCP coupling with carbon dioxide treatment on antioxidant enzyme activities and quality of fresh‐cut Fuji apples

This research focused on 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) effect during carbon dioxide atmosphere storage on physiology and quality of fresh-cut Fuji apples. Firmness, color, ascorbic acid, titratable acidity, malondialdehyde (MDA), lipoxygenase (LOX), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and catalase (CAT) activities of fresh-cut Fuji apples were examined. And it turns out under the condition of carbon dioxide storage, 1-MCP treatment could speed up the decrease of firmness, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid. Moreover, it enhanced the browning and MDA content of the fruit. Therefore, our results suggested that 1-MCP + CO2 treatment could enhance carbon dioxide injury as compared with CO2 treatment alone. Furthermore, 1-MCP + CO2 treatment maintained higher SOD, CAT, POD, PPO, and LOX activities. Overall, 1-MCP + CO2 treatment enhanced carbon dioxide injury during the storage of high concentration carbon dioxide, possibly through the regulation of LOX activity. Practical applications The combination of 1-MCP and CO2 may need to be avoided in fresh-cut Fuji apple preservation. Moreover, 1-MCP + CO2 increased antioxidant capacity, including SOD, CAT, PPO, and POD activities, which may provide suggestions for a breakthrough for new preservation methods.