Abstract
To develop safe and effective preservatives for fresh-cut produce, this study elucidates the multi-pathway mechanisms through which Melatonin (MT) regulates postharvest senescence in fresh-cut potatoes. Treatment with 0.1 mmol/L exogenous MT effectively inhibited browning and softening during storage. In terms of browning control, MT suppressed PPO and POD activities by 46% and ~10% at the end of storage (day 12), while enhancing enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity by 1.1- to 1.6-fold on average throughout storage. This alleviated oxidative damage and membrane lipid peroxidation, thereby reducing tissue browning. Regarding texture maintenance, MT downregulated PME and cellulase activities by 23% and 19% at the end of storage, activated phenylpropanoid metabolism, and inhibited starch degradation (maintaining 19% higher starch content), thus preserving cell wall structure and firmness (9.2% higher at the end of storage). Further analysis revealed that MT antagonized ethylene biosynthesis, upregulated StMYB168 expression (5.8-fold higher than control on average), and activated endogenous MT biosynthesis, establishing a self-sustaining positive regulatory cycle. Correlation analysis confirmed close relationships among physiological processes, signaling responses, and quality traits, with significant associations between firmness and starch content (r = 0.72), color indices and PPO/POD (|r| > 0.65), and MT biosynthesis genes and metabolic pathways (r = 0.65–0.75) (p < 0.01).
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin inhibited browning and softening during storage.
- Taxon
- Potatoes
Solanum tuberosumt0 - Treatment
- 0.1 mmol/L exogenous MTe0
- Outcome
- browning and softeninge0
- Direction
- inhibitede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Treatment with 0.1 mmol/L exogenous MT effectively inhibited browning and softening during storage.”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin suppressed PPO activity by 46% on day 12.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“MT suppressed PPO and POD activities by 46% and ~10% at the end of storage (day 12)”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin suppressed POD activity by about 10% on day 12.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“MT suppressed PPO and POD activities by 46% and ~10% at the end of storage (day 12)”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin raised antioxidant capacity 1.1- to 1.6-fold through storage.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- MTe1
- Outcome
- enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacitye0
- Direction
- enhancinge0
- Value
- 1.1- to 1.6-folde0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“while enhancing enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity by 1.1- to 1.6-fold on average throughout storage.”
e1“MT suppressed PPO and POD activities”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin alleviated oxidative damage and membrane lipid peroxidation.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- MTe1
- Outcome
- oxidative damage and membrane lipid peroxidatione0
- Direction
- alleviatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This alleviated oxidative damage and membrane lipid peroxidation, thereby reducing tissue browning.”
e1“MT suppressed PPO and POD activities”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin downregulated PME activity by 23%.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- MTe0
- Gene
- PMEe0
- Outcome
- PMEe0
- Direction
- downregulatede0
- Value
- 23%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“MT downregulated PME and cellulase activities by 23% and 19% at the end of storage”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin downregulated cellulase activity by 19%.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- MTe0
- Gene
- cellulasee0
- Outcome
- cellulase activitiese0
- Direction
- downregulatede0
- Value
- 19%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“MT downregulated PME and cellulase activities by 23% and 19% at the end of storage”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin activated phenylpropanoid metabolism.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- MTe0
- Outcome
- phenylpropanoid metabolisme0
- Direction
- activatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“MT downregulated PME and cellulase activities by 23% and 19% at the end of storage, activated phenylpropanoid metabolism”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin maintained 19% higher starch content.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“inhibited starch degradation (maintaining 19% higher starch content)”
e1“MT downregulated PME”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin maintained 9.2% higher firmness at storage end.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“thus preserving cell wall structure and firmness (9.2% higher at the end of storage)”
e1“MT downregulated PME”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin antagonized ethylene biosynthesis.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- MTe0
- Outcome
- ethylene biosynthesise0
- Direction
- antagonizede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“MT antagonized ethylene biosynthesis”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin increased StMYB168 expression 5.8-fold relative to control.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- MTe1
- Gene
- StMYB168e0
- Outcome
- StMYB168 expressione0
- Direction
- upregulatede0
- Value
- 5.8-folde0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“upregulated StMYB168 expression (5.8-fold higher than control on average)”
e1“MT antagonized ethylene biosynthesis”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin activated endogenous melatonin biosynthesis.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- MTe1
- Outcome
- endogenous MT biosynthesise0
- Direction
- activatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“activated endogenous MT biosynthesis”
e1“MT antagonized ethylene biosynthesis”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Firmness and starch content were positively correlated with r = 0.72.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Outcome
- firmnesse0
- Value
- r = 0.72e0
- Comparator
- starch contente0
Not reportedCompoundOrgan / stageDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“significant associations between firmness and starch content (r = 0.72)”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Color indices and PPO/POD were associated with absolute r above 0.65.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Gene
- PPO/PODe0
- Outcome
- color indicese0
- Value
- |r| > 0.65e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“color indices and PPO/POD (|r| > 0.65)”
e1“significant associations between firmness and starch content”
t0“Potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melatonin biosynthesis genes and metabolic pathways were associated at r = 0.65–0.75.
- Taxon
- PotatoesSolanum tuberosumt0
- Gene
- MT biosynthesis genese0
- Outcome
- metabolic pathwayse0
- Value
- r = 0.65–0.75e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“MT biosynthesis genes and metabolic pathways (r = 0.65–0.75) (p < 0.01)”
t0“Potatoes”
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See all 5 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.