Ripening mechanism of astringent persimmon by ethylene under cold storage

ABSTRACT

The mechanism of ripening and the expression of ethylene response genes of astringent persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.f.) treated with ethylene at different times during cold storage has been investigated. Freshly harvested fruit was stored at 0°C and 85% relative humidity for up to 2 months, and treated with 100 µL L ⁻¹ ethylene at 0, 1, and 2 months. The ethylene treatment was proceeding at 25°C until 4 d. Ethylene production patterns were similar in fruit from the ethylene treatment regardless of the treatment time point, but maximum ethylene production occurred earlier with longer storage periods. Softening of ethylene treated fruit was more rapid after storage than at harvest. Although the reduction of soluble tannin was similar in fruit from all ethylene treatments, it was faster with longer storage periods. Expression of DKEIL, DKERF3, DKERF5, and DKERF8 transcript levels was higher in stored fruit than at harvest. The results of this study suggest that the astringency removal and ripening of cold stored persimmon fruit could be accelerated by 1–2 d compared with ripening at harvest.

KEYWORDS:

• Astringency removal
• diospyros kaki L.f.
• cold storage
• softening
• post harvest
• gene expression

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2017R1D1A3B03033622). We thank Christopher B. Watkins for the useful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).