Abstract
Punica granatum belongs to the Lythraceae family is one of the most important subtropical fruits native to Iran. Although the production of fruit has increased recently, there is still a gap between demand and supply. Improper handling, transportation, packaging and storage, mechanical damage, and susceptibility to chilling injury and its related physiological disorders during long-term storage are the most important causes of pomegranate postharvest losses. Fruit quality is lost with visible symptoms such as weight loss, shriveling, husk scald, fungal rot, aril color degradation, and off-flavor during long-term storage. Preserving the quality is the most important goal of the postharvest physiology industry. To minimize both qualitative and quantitative postharvest losses, it is crucial to apply appropriate knowledge and technologies during both the harvest and postharvest stages of pomegranate production. This helps to maintain the quality and shelf life of the fruit. This paper reviewed recent studies that used simple, eco-friendly, synthetic and organic plant growth regulator treatments in underdeveloped and developing countries, including proper packaging according to consumer demand and safe preservatives application, which significantly reduces postharvest losses and improves overall quality of pomegranate fruit and arils.
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Introduction
Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables is essential for human health due to their nutritional and bioactive compounds (Fraga et al. 2019). Pomegranate is an edible and medicinal fruit with high economic and nutritional value and rich in phenolic compounds, antioxidants, sugars, vitamins, organic acids, unsaturated fatty acids (unSFAs), minerals, and fiber (Mahesar et al. 2019; El-Mahdy et al. 2022). Pomegranate has an anti-inflammatory effect and reduces high blood pressure (Barati Boldaji et al. 2020; Pfohl et al. 2021), and also effective in preventing heart diseases, diabetes, and cancer (Kushwaha et al. 2020; Stawarska et al. 2020; Chaves et al. 2020).
Fresh fruit losses are increasing in post-harvest processes (FAO 2019). Pomegranate fruits show chilling injury (CI) symptoms at temperatures below 5 °C, including rotting, browning, and cracking of the peel. In addition to CI, weight loss during storage causes the hardness of the peel and seeds, wrinkling, and senescence (Caleb et al. 2012, 2013). Weight loss and microbial decay due to transpiration and respiration are among the main problems of post-harvest storage (Kahramanoglu 2017). Long-term storage of pomegranate arils causes more weight loss due to lower resistance of the cell membrane against water loss (Belay et al. 2018). Fruit water loss during storage results in husk browning (Nerya et al. 2006). Additionally, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activity enhances the brown superficial discoloration of pomegranate fruits (Baghel et al. 2021), which is the primary cause of quality decrease (Ioannou and Ghoul 2013). Weight loss increases CI symptoms by destroying the membrane integrity (Maghoumi et al. 2023). Damage to the membrane structures and a lack of resistance to cold are results of the decrease in unSFAs content and membrane fluidity, and it has been reported electrolyte leakage in the pomegranate peel has been linked to CI symptoms (Casares et al. 2019). Packaging and edible coatings reduces the vapor pressure difference between the surface and environment of the product by maintaining the relative humidity around the fruit, accordingly reducing the water loss of the product (Ngcobo et al. 2013). Also, nanoparticle technology helps to increase shelf life and reduce waste due to the controlled release of nutrients (Ding et al. 2022). Nano-elements can maintain antioxidant capacity with their antibacterial effects in food packaging (Sirelkhatim et al. 2015; Saba and Amini 2017). In addition, plant growth regulators improve tolerance to abiotic stresses by scavenging or reducing the accumulation of active oxygen species (AOS), electrolyte leakage, and expression of stress-specific genes (Rachappanavar et al. 2022).
Pomegranate has a short ripening period with low storability (Ozdemir and Gokmen 2017; Melgarejo-Sanchez et al. 2021), and considering the nutritional value of pomegranate, maintaining its quality and nutrients is a research priority. The requirement to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits is to minimize the rate of biochemical reactions and enzymatic and microbial degradation (Kirandeep et al. 2018; Kumar et al. 2020). Therefore, this review aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of the main practical post-harvest treatments, which influence the quality and storage life of pomegranate fruit (Table 1).
Post-Harvest Management
Packaging Films
Food packaging preserves nutritional value by preventing contact with spoilage agents such as microorganisms, oxygen, and moisture (Khan et al. 2021). Films to improve the physicochemical properties and shelf life of fruits developed, and the usage of synthetic and semi-synthetic polymers is common (Ferreira et al. 2020; Shen et al. 2020). Polymer films are used for packaging due to their low production cost and excellent barrier properties against moisture and gases (Azeem et al. 2022; Dissanayake et al. 2022). The polymer film was successfully used on pomegranate fruit and improved overall quality and storage life of arils (Moradinezhad et al. 2018, 2020). Packaging fruit with micro- and macro-perforation high-density polyethylene (HDPE) reduced postharvest losses by minimizing moisture condensation, fruit rot, and shriveling (Lufu et al. 2021). Fruit packaged in the micro-perforated Xtend® had the most negligible weight loss and respiration rates compared to unpacked fruit (Kawhena et al. 2022). Arils packed with Xtend® maintained phenol, anthocyanin, ascorbic acid, and antioxidants compared to low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP). Also, the organoleptic quality increased due to the reduction of water loss and preservation of color (Dhineshkumar et al. 2017). Arils packed in the semi-permeable films had high polyphenols, anthocyanins contents, enzymatic activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)), and low PPO and POD activity (Adiletta et al. 2019). In a similar study, silver nano-bag maintained the taste, aroma, overall acceptability, anthocyanin, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity and reduced pectinase activity compared with Xtend bag, polyethylene bag, and polypropylene bag (EL-Eryan 2020). Passive modified atmosphere using XTend™ bags increased the anthocyanin concentration in the peel and arils and delayed the symptoms of CI (Valdenegro et al. 2022). In addition, vacuum (Moradinezhad et al. 2019) and modified atmosphere (Dorostkar and Moradinezhad 2022) packaging using LDPE bags significantly maintained fruit quality and reduced losses of pomegranate fruit cultivar Shishe-Kab. Reduction of microbial contamination and maintain the quality of arils was observed in polyethylene-polyester bilayer film compared to polypropylene biaxial orientation (Ranjbar and Ramezanian 2022). Packaging can lead to structure preservation, less tissue damage and extending shelf life of aril due to increased vapor pressure and reduced cell wall polysaccharides degradation (Zhao et al. 2019) (Table 1 and Fig. 1A).
A proposed model for postharvest treatments-mediated chilling injury resistance
Edible Coatings
Edible coatings can maintain quality by creating a semi-permeable barrier against gas and moisture exchange. Also, they may carry active components such as nanoparticles that have antimicrobial or antioxidant activity against bacteria and ultraviolet (UV) rays, respectively, to improve the properties of coatings (Aristizabal-Gil et al. 2019; Sharma et al. 2020; Firdous et al. 2023). Nano-stimulants can be natural or chemical plant extracts, nanocomposites containing macronutrients, micronutrients, or chitosan. Polysaccharide-based coatings are colorless and have low calories with antioxidant and antibacterial characteristics (Harkin et al. 2019).
Post-harvest application of chitosan coating reduced respiration rate, weight loss, and shriveling symptoms of the pericarp surface of pomegranate fruit (Varasteh et al. 2018). Combination of modified atmosphere packaging and chitosan coating significantly reduced weight loss and husk scald symptoms (Candir et al. 2018). Similarly, CH-24-epibrassinolide coating reduced weight loss, respiration rate, electrolyte leakage, and microbial spoilage, followed by delayed texture, color, and total soluble solids (TSS) degradation (Mwelase and Fawole 2022). Combined chitosan and potassium sorbate (PS) decreased the CI symptoms, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents of fruit peel. Furthermore, it enhanced the activity of DPPH radical scavenging and antioxidant enzymes of arils and exhibited the lowest decay and weight loss (Molaei et al. 2021). It has been reported that the application of chitosan after organic acids treatment such as ascorbic, malic, and oxalic was practical for maintaining bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity, reducing microbial spoilage and CI of pomegranate fruit during storage (Sayyari et al. 2016; Ozdemir and Gokmen 2017; Ehteshami et al. 2020). Also, emulsions and films of chitosan-oregano or cinnamon exhibited a complete inhibition against pathogens (Munhuweyi et al. 2017a). Coated fruits with chitosan and thymol had lower weight loss and higher anthocyanin, total phenol, flavonoid content, and sensory characteristics (Malekshahi and ValizadehKaji 2021). Chitosan nanoparticles containing clove essential oil also maintained fresh weight, TSS, and antioxidant activity and increased the shelf life and sensory quality of aril by reducing fungal contamination (Hasheminejad and Khodaiyan 2020). Similarly, savory essential oil encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles was introduced to maintain the biochemical and sensory quality (Amiri et al. 2021). In a recent study, pomegranate peel extract and zinc nanoparticles loaded on chitosan coating reduced weight loss, microbial load, mold, and yeast and improved the sensory characteristics of the pomegranate fruit (Anean et al. 2023). The preservation of bioactive compounds is due to the role of coating in reducing oxidation (Saba and Amini 2017). In addition, there are reports on the role of chitosan in the transcription of genes that cause the synthesis of protective stimuli and the maintenance of phenolic content (González-Saucedo et al. 2019). The antimicrobial activity of chitosan nanoparticles has based on the electrostatic attraction between the protonated amine groups of chitosan and the negatively charged phospholipids of the cell wall of microorganisms, which increases the permeability and degradation of the cell membrane (Li et al. 2015; Chandrasekaran et al. 2020; Yan et al. 2021). It has proved that chitosan affects protein biosynthesis and membrane fluidity and damages cell integrity by accumulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the microorganism cell and may be involved in energy metabolism (Ke et al. 2021).
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is one of the most common modified celluloses with good solubility and reactivity (Pettignano et al. 2019). A decreasing weight loss and vitamin C of pomegranate arils in CMC coatings enriched with zinc oxide (ZnO) (Saba and Amini 2017) was observed due to a decrease in aerobic oxidation and followed by increasing antioxidant activity. CMC and chitosan combined with organic acids reduced hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage, and MDA while maintaining total phenol content, catalase activity, and antioxidant activity (Ehteshami et al. 2019). Propolis hydrophobic composites with the formation of a biodegradable barrier prevent the diffusion of water vapor on the surface of the fruit and thus prevent weight loss during storage (Kahramanoğlu et al. 2018) and combined treatment of propolis with modified atmosphere packaging is more effective. Also, propolis extract prevents the losses of total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid and improves sensory acceptance (Kahramanoglu and Usanmaz 2017; Kahramanoğlu et al. 2018) (Table 1 and Fig. 1A).
Micronutrients
ZnO nanoparticles have been Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) products by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in food packaging (Espitia et al. 2012). Recently, ZnO nanoparticles have been used in food packaging due to their low cost, nutritional and antibacterial characteristics (Dai et al. 2022; Sosa et al. 2023). Improving quality characteristics and shelf life of arils enriched with zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) and nano-zinc oxide (nZnO) has been observed (Aminzadeh et al. 2022), which maintains intracellular acids by reducing microbial load and preventing aril weight loss. Similarly, ZnSO4 and essential oil combination have been recommended for improving the quality characteristics, especially the increase of the Zn nutrient of arils to meet the body’s nutritional needs (Aminzadeh et al. 2023). Coating carboxymethyl cellulose containing nZnO of pomegranate arils increases the shelf life by preserving phenol, anthocyanin, vitamin C, and antioxidant capacity and reducing mesophilic bacteria, mold, and yeast (Saba and Amini 2017). Zn and manganese are an activator of antioxidant enzymes. Activation of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and CAT, also the accumulation of non-enzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and phenolics, could delay senescence and extend the shelf life (Gill and Tuteja 2010). After dissolving in water, zinc ions (Zn+2) bind to the membrane of the microorganism and delay the completion of cell division and growth cycle (Atmaca et al. 1998), as after penetrating the bacterial cell wall, Zn2+ affects its cytoplasmic content and finally leads to the programmed cell death of bacteria (Table1).
Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs)
Melatonin (MT)
Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is involved in physiological processes and regulating gene expression of biosynthetic/catabolic pathways of phytohormones (Arnao and Hernández-Ruiz 2021).
Post-harvest melatonin application by the accumulation of phenolic compounds increases the antioxidant capacity of pomegranate and scavenges ROS (Jannatizadeh 2019). The content of ascorbic acid is affected after melatonin treatment, and stimulating the accumulation of glutathione leads to an increase in anthocyanin and phenolic compounds (Aghdam et al. 2020a). MT treatment reduced ion leakage by increasing unSFAs and induced CI resistance by maintaining membrane integrity, reducing MDA, electrolyte leakage, and peel browning (Jannatizadeh 2019; Molla et al. 2022). Other researchers attributed the membrane integrity to less hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation following the activity of ROS scavenging enzymes such as CAT, SOD, APX, and glutathione reductase (GR) (Xu et al. 2019; Aghdam et al. 2020a). The maintenance of membrane integrity likely is due to the acceleration of electron flow in the mitochondrial electron transport chain by promoting NADH dehydrogenase, cytochrome b c1 oxidoreductases, and FoF1 -ATP synthase, which increases the capacity of ATP synthase (Tan et al. 2013). In addition, exogenous application of melatonin induces CI resistance through the oxidative pathway of pentose phosphate and regulation of phenolic compounds metabolism (Aghdam et al. 2020a). Therefore, phenol accumulation and DPPH inhibition due to the high activity of the enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and the low activity of the enzyme PPO are necessary for CI resistance. In general, an increase in membrane integrity, antioxidant enzyme activity, and a decrease in CI have been observed after MT treatment (Aghdam et al. 2020a) (Table 1 and Fig. 1B).
Salicylic Acid (SA)
SA is involved in various physiological processes (Koo et al. 2020) and biotic and abiotic stresses (Sheteiwy et al. 2019). SA has been used in the postharvest storage of a wide range of products due to the absence of toxic residues (Asghari and Aghdam 2010).
Post-harvest application of SA, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and methyl salicylate (MeSA) preserved the quality and levels of total antioxidant, such as phenolics, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid (Sayyari et al. 2011a, b; Dokhanieh et al. 2016). Furthermore, it reduces CI (Sayyari et al. 2011a, b; Boshadi et al. 2018) in pomegranate fruit. Exogenous SA led to the preservation of sugars, organic acids, phenol, anthocyanin, and antioxidant capacity by reducing respiration rate and PAL enzyme activity, and it was efficient in CI by reducing electrolyte leakage (Sayyari et al. 2009, 2011a). The combination of SA and putrescine increased bioactive compounds and fruit quality (Koyuncu et al. 2019). SA may stimulate anthocyanin synthesis through phenylpropanoid pathway activation (Sayyari et al. 2016), and in this regard, Koyuncu et al. (2019) observed the best fruit color in pomegranates treated with SA. SA increases ascorbic acid content by inducing APX activity and inhibiting ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO) activity (Rao et al. 2011). Post-harvest application of SA also maintained the chroma index of aril and peel, titratable acidity, and TSS (Koyuncu et al. 2019; Güneş et al. 2020). Arils treated with SA had good visual quality, no decay, and an unpleasant aroma (Shaarawi et al. 2016). Salicyloyl chitosan-treated pomegranate fruits had higher unsaturated/saturated fatty acid (unSFA/SFA) ratio (Sayyari et al. 2016), which delayed electrolyte leakage and internal and external browning. Also, the antioxidant capacity hydrophilic (H-TAA) and lipophilic (L-TAA) due to increasing phenol, anthocyanin, and ascorbic acid were high in the SA-treated fruits. The fruits showed lower weight loss, respiration rate and ethylene production, followed by higher firmness, total soluble solids, and more titratable acidity as a sensory quality (Sayyari et al. 2016). SA and methyl jasmonate in fresh-cut pomegranate significantly preserved antioxidant capacity under cold storage (El-Beltagi et al. 2023), followed by the reduction of oxidative stress suppressed the respiration rate (Aghdam et al. 2016a) (Table 1 and Fig. 1C).
Methyl jasmonate (MeJA)
MeJA is involved in physiological processes (Wang et al. 2019a; Pan et al. 2020) and improves the post-harvest quality of pomegranate fruit (Wang et al. 2021; Serna-Escolano et al. 2021).
Post-harvest application of MeJA mainly improves fruit quality by increasing phenolics and flavonoids, antioxidant capacity and volatile compounds production, and delayed senescence (Wang et al. 2021). MeJA reduces CI by delaying the ripening and preserving of antioxidant compounds (Sayyari et al. 2011a, 2017). In other studies, MeJA prevented CI by suppressing the activity of polyphenol oxidase and preventing the reduction of total phenol, reducing MDA, and maintaining the fluidity of the cell membrane (Chen et al. 2021). MeJA vapor treatment increased the content of endogenous polyamines, especially putrescine, and spermidine, which are efficient in resistance to CI (Valero et al. 2015). MeJA prevents membrane lipids degradation and permeability change and thus slows down the efflux of K+, Ca2+, sugar, and other electrolytes and maintains intracellular stability. Examination of the structure of the pericarp in microscopic studies showed no damage to the lipophilic layer and cuticle, and the epidermal cells had a regular structure (Chen et al. 2021). In general, MeJA is a beneficial tool to prevent CI (Table 1 and Fig. 1D).
Oxalic Acid (OA)
OA has physiological functions, including induction of systemic resistance against fungal diseases by increasing the activity of antioxidants. Previous studies showed that its long-term use in non-climacteric fruits extended the shelf life (Valero et al. 2011; Ravi et al. 2017). In addition, endogenous OA causes intrinsic heat tolerance and increases antioxidant capacity (Osei-Kwarteng et al. 2023). The main effects of organic acids as anti-senescence agents are to delay ripening (Gimenez et al. 2017).
Sayyari et al. (2010) showed that OA preserves the total phenolics of pomegranate. Similarly, OA can increase the storage life of pomegranate by preserving bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity (Koyuncu et al. 2019). The mechanism of preservation of bioactive compounds by OA probably is due to its antioxidant properties that prevent lipid peroxidation. The combination of polysaccharide-based edible coatings and OA increased the phenolic content, CAT activity, and antioxidant activity while reducing H2O2, MDA, electrolyte leakage, and CI in pomegranate fruit (Ehteshami et al. 2019, 2020). It seems OA reduces CI symptoms by maintaining membrane fluidity (Ehteshami et al. 2019) and inducing antioxidant activity at low temperatures (Huang et al. 2016). The combination of controlled atmosphere and OA significantly reduced postharvest decay (Koyuncu et al. 2019). (Table 1 and Fig. 1E).
Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP)
SNP has been used as a nitric oxide (NO) donor for pre- and post-harvest treatment of apple fruit and might modulate shikimate and phenylpropanoid pathways (Ge et al. 2019). The shikimate pathway is a metabolic pathway that generates precursors to synthesize many secondary metabolites to enhance disease resistance (Karki and Ham 2014). SNP increases disease resistance by suppressing ROS formation and improves the fruit quality of Cucumis melo by suppressing ethylene production (Wang et al. 2019b; Sahu et al. 2020). Treatment with NO donors induces cold stress resistance in climacteric and non-climacteric fruits (Xu et al. 2012). The effects of NO are greater in non-climatic fruits (Osei-Kwarteng et al. 2023). Reduces CI by exogenous application of NO is related to decrease membrane permeability, MDA content, ion leakage, and lipid peroxidation (Ranjbari et al. 2016, 2018; Wu et al. 2014). It seems to be associated with a decrease in the production or detoxification of ROS (González-Gordo et al. 2019) and an increase in the expression or activity of antioxidant enzymes (Wu et al. 2014; Babalar et al. 2018). SNP treatment increases the total quantity of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the activity of enzymes involved in energy metabolisms such as H+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), and cytochrome C oxidase (COX), which lead to an increase in cold stress resistance (Wang et al. 2015a). The application of exogenous NO in non-climacteric fruits reduces ethylene production and leads to a decreased respiration rate (Zhu and Zhou 2007). NO is an inhibitor of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, which binds to iron-sulfur proteins and inhibits their biological activities (Lin et al. 2012) (Table 1 and Fig. 1F).
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)
In the last decade, there has been an increasing trend to use natural stimulants to induce CI resistance and delay senescence in subtropical and tropical fruits (Shelp et al. 2017; Zhu et al. 2022). GABA is a four-carbon non-protein amino acid and the natural signal produced in plants under biotic and abiotic stress (Li et al. 2021; Liu et al. 2022). Activation of the enzyme and non-antioxidant defense system, maintenance of carbon–nitrogen ratio balance, involvement in the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids, regulation of plant growth, chlorophyll biosynthesis and membrane stabilization, osmotic regulation induced by exogenous GABA in plants (Ji et al. 2018; Shomali et al. 2021). GABA is a safe edible coating in the food industry (Naila et al. 2010) that positively affected peel and aril firmness, flavor, texture and color, antioxidant activity, the content of phenolic compounds, and reduction of ion leakage and CI pomegranate fruit (Nazoori et al. 2020). Accordingly, edible coating based on carnauba wax with the addition of GABA delayed CI symptoms and preserved quality (Nazoori et al. 2022). In general, applying GABA post-harvest can increase the storage life of pomegranates by maintaining the quality characteristics.
Coatings act as a semi-permeable barrier against oxygen, carbon dioxide, and moisture, thus reducing water loss, respiration rate, and oxidative reactions (Maqbool et al. 2011). Edible coatings improve the firmness by maintaining the content of polysaccharides and subepidermal cells structure and integrity of the membrane and inhibiting the activity of pectin methyl esterase and polygalacturonase enzymes (Wang et al. 2015b). Exogenous application of GABA is a strategy to increase endogenous GABA levels and GABA shunt activity, which leads to an increase in carbon flux through the respiratory pathways, which will lead to an increase in NADH, NADPH, and ATP (Aghdam et al. 2018, 2020b; Shelp et al. 2021) and improves post-harvest quality (Aghdam et al. 2022). Storage at low-temperature delays senescence and improves resistance to CI by promoting the activity of the GABA pathway (Aghdam et al. 2022). GABA reduces the activity of phospholipase and lipoxygenase enzymes and increases antioxidant activity it maintains membrane fluidity by maintaining the ratio of SAFs to unSAFs (Aghdam et al. 2016b). GABA’s role in increasing antioxidant activity is due to its ability to increase antioxidant compounds such as phenols and flavonoids (Wang et al. 2014). Phenols, especially anthocyanins, are related to antioxidant activity in pomegranates. GABA increases phenolic compounds, including anthocyanins, its effects are attributed to the activity of PAL, a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of phenols, and decreasing the activity of PPO (Ge et al. 2018; Habibi et al. 2020). Other mechanisms to reduce CI by exogenous GABA may be energy conservation by providing NAD, ATP, and inhibition of cytoplasmic acidification (Aghdam et al. 2016b, 2018).
The balance of SOD activity and H2O2 scavenging enzymes can be critical for cell survival during cold storage. GABA scavenges ROS and protects plant tissue against active carbonyl damage through higher SOD activity (Malekzadeh et al. 2017; Habibi et al. 2019) (Table 1 and Fig. 1A).
Heat Treatments
Heat treatments, such as vapor, water immersion, hot water rinsing, and bruising are simple and eco-friendly technologies to maintain functional and nutritional properties and extend the fruit shelf life.
Ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, and phenolics are responsible for total antioxidant activity in pomegranate fruits, and heat treatment helps preserve health-promoting compounds by increasing total antioxidant activity (Kulkarni et al. 2005). Heat-treated pomegranate fruit showed higher total antioxidant activity than the control (Mirdehghan et al. 2006). The higher antioxidant is related to high levels of total phenol, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanin content. In addition, the preservation of sugars (glucose and fructose) and organic acids (malic, citric, and oxalic acids) maintained the organoleptic quality of arils (Mirdehghan et al. 2006). The effect of heat on the increase of sugar concentration can be attributed to the increase of activities of glucosidase, galactosidase, and arabinase, which causes the release of sugar from cell wall polymers (Beirao-da-Costa et al. 2006). Preservation of organic acids may be due to respiration rate inhibition under heat treatment (Serrano et al. 2004). Heat treatment increases free putrescine and spermidine and delays fruit softening (Mirdehghan et al. 2007). Higher polyamine levels and maintaining the ratio of SAFs to unSAFs maintain the integrity and fluidity of the membrane and induce a mechanism of tolerance to low temperatures (Mirdehghan et al. 2007). Mild heat treatment, such as hot water, reduces microorganisms and inactivates destructive enzymes (Talaie et al. 2004; Mirdehghan et al. 2006). Heat shock likely induces ROS, followed by the activation of oxygen radical scavengers such as SOD, POD, and CAT, as a defense system against oxidative stress (Moller 2001). Hot water treatment of arils suppressed the PAL and PPO activity while increasing POD activity and subsequently preventing enzymatic browning and quality reduction (Maghoumi et al. 2013). Investigating the effect of intermittent warming and hot water treatment showed that intermittent heating treatment increased shelf life and reduced pomegranate fruit decay (Moradinezhad and Khayyat 2014); however, storage life was higher in hot water treated-fruit, which is probably due to improved defense-system is against post-harvest pathogens. Intermittent warming, especially a warm period at the beginning of storage, resulted in higher enzymatic antioxidant activity and phenolic content and lower PPO activity in the peel, resulting in less cold damage (Taghipour et al. 2021a). Preservation of unSFAs against peroxidation, lower MDA production, continuous increase of spermidine, and higher levels of putrescine were observed as the membrane immune system immediately after treatment (Taghipour et al. 2021b). Maintaining antioxidant enzyme levels is probably responsible for reducing lipid peroxidation. Warming before the appearance of irreversible CI symptoms is a practical method for cold storage (Table 1 and Fig. 1G).
Conclusion and Prospects
The quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the fruit are affected by pre- and post-harvest management. Therefore, appropriate processes at pre- and post-harvest stages lead to reducing stresses and increasing quality. Also, the food produced in the correct management system will be suitable from the nutritional value, sensory quality, and safety aspects. Packaging protects the product against mechanical injury and microbial spoilage and improves organoleptic quality and marketability. Considering that pomegranate fruit is non-climacteric, the use of polymer films may have a good potential for the maintenance of its quality. Polymer films create a modified atmosphere and have a significant effect on preventing chilling injury and maintaining fruit quality. However, there is a need for extensive studies to develop the packaging system for pomegranate arils and fruit in different commercial cultivars. On the other hand, the increase in polymer production for post-harvest application indicates low recycling rates and environmental issues, therefore the assurance of the existing technology for edible coatings production must be considered to meet consumer demand. Although edible coatings limit moisture loss and gas exchanges and increase shelf life, however, further research is essential to ensure the moisture barrier properties of hydrophilic edible coatings, improving the adhesion and durability of the coating during storage. In addition to extending shelf life, improving nutritional quality is one of the important research priorities. The biofortification of plants with nanoparticles help to improve nutritional quality. However, further research is needed to optimize the concentration to reduce postharvest physiological disorders. MT and SNP, as signaling molecule, affects metabolism by regulating endogenous levels of hormones and oxygen free radicals. Besides, approval of the FDA is essential regarding the possibility of commercialization despite the high cost and long-term treatment time. SA, JA, OA, and GABA are safe compounds to maintain quality and antioxidant activity during storage. However, detailed knowledge of the mechanisms that increase bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity is essential. Post-harvest heat treatment is efficient in preserving total antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds. However, the optimal temperature and duration of heat treatment to prevent irreversible oxidative stress should be determined in commercial pomegranate cultivars.
All the processes used in the previous research significantly increase the nutritional quality. However, further research in various commercial cultivars is vital to select the best treatments at the optimal concentration for extending the storage life of pomegranate fruit and arils.
Data availability
As a review paper there is no data to present in the manuscript.
References
Adiletta G, Petriccione M, Liguori L, Zampella L, Mastrobuoni F, Di Matteo M (2019) Overall quality and antioxidant enzymes of ready-to-eat ‘Purple Queen’ pomegranate arils during cold storage. Postharvest Biol Technol 155:20–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2019.05.008
Adiletta G, Di Matteo M, Petriccione M (2021) Multifunctional role of chitosan edible coatings on antioxidant systems in fruit crops: a review. Int J Mol Sci 22(5):2633. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22052633
Aghdam MS, Bodbodak S (2014) Postharvest heat treatment for mitigation of chilling injury in fruits and vegetables. Food Bioproc Tech 7:37–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-013-1207-4
Aghdam MS, Naderi R, Jannatizadeh A, Sarcheshmeh MAA, Babalar M (2016b) Enhancement of postharvest chilling tolerance of anthurium cut flowers by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatments. Sci Hortic 198:52–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2015.11.019
Aghdam MS, Jannatizadeh A, Luo Z, Paliyath G (2018) Ensuring sufficient intracellular ATP supplying and friendly extracellular ATP signaling attenuates stresses, delays senescence and maintains quality in horticultural crops during postharvest life. Trends Food Sci Technol 76:67–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2018.04.003
Aghdam MS, Luo Z, Li L, Jannatizadeh A, Fard JR, Pirzad F (2020a) Melatonin treatment maintains nutraceutical properties of pomegranate fruits during cold storage. Food Chem 303:125385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125385
Aghdam MS, Palma JM, Corpas FJ (2020b) NADPH as a quality footprinting in horticultural crops marketability. Trends Food Sci Technol 103:152–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2020.07.002
Aghdam MS, Flaherty EJ, Shelp BJ (2022) γ-Aminobutyrate improves the postharvest marketability of horticultural commodities: advances and prospects. Front. Plant Sci 13:884572. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.884572
Aghdam MS, Asghari M, Babalar M, Sarcheshmeh MAA (2016a) Impact of salicylic acid on postharvest physiology of fruits and vegetables. In: Eco-friendly technology for postharvest produce quality (pp. 243–268). Academic Press. doi https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-804313-4.00008-6
Aminzade R, Ramezanian A, Eshghi S, Hosseini SMH (2022) Maintenance of pomegranate arils quality by zinc enrichment, a comparison between zinc sulfate and nano zinc oxide. Postharvest Biol Technol 184:111757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111757
Aminzadeh R, Ramezanian A, Eshghi S, Hosseini SMH (2023) Synergistic effect of zinc and denak (Oliveria decumbens) essential oil to extend the storage life of pomegranate arils. Chem Biol Technol Agric 10(1):1–21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-023-00398-4
Amiri A, Ramezanian A, Mortazavi SMH, Hosseini SMH, Yahia E (2021) Shelf-life extension of pomegranate arils using chitosan nanoparticles loaded with Satureja hortensis essential oil. J Sci Food Agric 101(9):3778–3786. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.11010
Anean HA, Mallasiy LO, Bader DM, Shaat HA (2023) Nano edible coatings and films combined with zinc oxide and pomegranate peel active phenol Compounds has been to extend the shelf life of minimally processed pomegranates. Mater 16(4):1569. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041569
Aristizabal-Gil MV, Santiago-Toro S, Sanchez LT, Pinzon MI, Gutierrez JA, Villa CC (2019) ZnO and ZnO/CaO nanoparticles in alginate films. Synthesis, mechanical characterization, barrier properties and release kinetics. LWT Food Sci Technol 112:108217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2019.05.115
Arnao MB, Hernández-Ruiz J (2021) Melatonin as a regulatory hub of plant hormone levels and action in stress situations. Plant Biol 23:7–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.13202
Asghari M, Aghdam MS (2010) Impact of salicylic acid on post-harvest physiology of horticultural crops. Trends Food Sci Technol 21(10):502–509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2010.07.009
Atmaca S, Gul K, Cicek R (1998) The effect of zinc on microbial growth. Turk J Med Sci 28(6):595–598
Awad MA, Al-Qurashi AD, Elsayed MI (2013) Effect of pre-storage salicylic acid and oxalic acid dipping on chilling injury and quality of ‘Taify’ pomegranates during cold storage. J Food Agric Environ 11:117–122. https://doi.org/10.5897/ajb11.4158
Azeem I, Adeel M, Ahmad MA, Shakoor N, Zain M, Yousef N, Yinghai Z, Azeem K, Zhou P, White JC, Ming X, Rui Y (2022) Microplastic and nano plastic interactions with plant species: trends, meta-analysis, and perspectives. Environ Sci Technol Lett 9(6):482–492. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00107
Babalar M, Pirzad F, Sarcheshmeh MAA, Talaei A, Lessani H (2018) Arginine treatment attenuates chilling injury of pomegranate fruit during cold storage by enhancing antioxidant system activity. Postharvest Biol Technol 137:31–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2017.11.012
Baghel RS, Keren-Keiserman A, Ginzberg I (2021) Metabolic changes in pomegranate fruit skin following cold storage promote chilling injury of the peel. Sci Rep 11(1):9141. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88457-4
Barati Boldaji R, Akhlaghi M, Sagheb MM, Esmaeilinezhad Z (2020) Pomegranate juice improves cardiometabolic risk factors, biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialysis patients: a randomized crossover trial. J Sci Food Agric 100(2):846–854. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.10096
Beatrice C, Linthorst JH, Cinzia F, Luca R (2017) Enhancement of PR1 and PR5 gene expressions by chitosan treatment in kiwifruit plants inoculated with pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae Eur J Plant Pathol 148(1):163–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-016-1080-x
Beirão-da-Costa S, Steiner A, Correia L, Empis J, Moldão-Martins M (2006) Effects of maturity stage and mild heat treatments on quality of minimally processed kiwifruit. J Food Eng 76(4):616–625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2005.06.012
Belay ZA, Caleb OJ, Mahajan PV, Opara UL (2018) Design of active modified atmosphere and humidity packaging (MAHP) for ‘wonderful’ pomegranate arils. Food Bioproc Tech 11:1478–1494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-018-2119-0
Boshadi T, Moradinezhad F, Jahani M (2018) Effect of pre-and postharvest application of salicylic acid on quality attributes and decay of pomegranate fruit (cv. Shishe-Kab). J Appl Hortic 20(2):154–160. https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2018.v20i02.27
Broadley MR, White PJ, Hammond JP, Zelko I, Lux A (2007) Zinc in Plants. New Phytol 173(4):677–702. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.01996.x
Caleb OJ, Opara UL, Witthuhn CR (2012) Modified atmosphere packaging of pomegranate fruit and arils: a review. Food Bioproc Technol 5:15–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-011-0525-7
Caleb OJ, Mahajan PV, Al-Said FAJ, Opara UL (2013) Modified atmosphere packaging technology of fresh and fresh-cut produce and the microbial consequences—a review. Food Bioproc Technol 6:303–329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-012-0932-4
Candir E, Ozdemir AE, Aksoy MC (2018) Effects of chitosan coating and modified atmosphere packaging on postharvest quality and bioactive compounds of pomegranate fruit cv. ‘Hicaznar.’ Sci Hortic 235:235–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.03.017
Casares D, Escribá PV, Rosselló CA (2019) Membrane lipid composition: effect on membrane and organelle structure, function and compartmentalization and therapeutic avenues. Int J Mol Sci 20(9):2167. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20092167
Chandrasekaran M, Kim KD, Chun SC (2020) Antibacterial activity of chitosan nanoparticles: a review. Processes 8(9):1173. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8091173
Chaves FM, Pavan ICB, da Silva LGS, de Freitas LB, Rostagno MA, Antunes AEC, Simabuco FM (2020) Pomegranate juice and peel extracts are able to inhibit proliferation, migration and colony formation of prostate cancer cell lines and modulate the Akt/mTOR/S6K signaling pathway. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 75(1):54–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-019-00776-0
Chen L, Pan Y, Li H, Jia X, Guo Y, Luo J, Li X (2021) Methyl jasmonate alleviates chilling injury and keeps intact pericarp structure of pomegranate during low temperature storage. Int J Food Sci Technol 27(1):22–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1082013220921597
Dai L, Li R, Liang Y, Liu Y, Zhang W, Shi S (2022) Development of pomegranate peel extract and nano ZnO Co-reinforced polylactic acid film for active food packaging. Membr 12(11):1108. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12111108
Dhineshkumar V, Ramasamy D, Pugazhenthi TR (2017) Influence of packaging material on quality characteristics of minimally processed bhagwa pomegranate arils during storage. J Pharmacogn Phytochem 6(6):1042–1046
Ding CK, Wang CY, Gross KC, Smith DL (2001) Reduction of chilling injury and transcript accumulation of heat shock proteins in tomato fruit by methyl jasmonate and methyl salicylate. Plant Sci 61(6):1153–1159. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-9452(01)00521-0
Ding Z, Zhao F, Zhu Z, Ali EF, Shaheen SM, Rinklebe J, Eissa MA (2022) Green nano silica enhanced the salt-tolerance defenses and yield of Williams banana: a field trial for using saline water in low fertile arid soil. Environ Exp Bot 197:104843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2022.104843
Dissanayake PD, Kim S, Sarkar B, Oleszczuk P, Sang MK, Haque MN, Ok YS (2022) Effects of microplastics on the terrestrial environment: a critical review. Environ Res 209:112734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.112734
Dokhanieh AY, Aghdam MS, Sarcheshmeh MAA (2016) Impact of postharvest hot salicylic acid treatment on aril browning and nutritional quality in fresh-cut pomegranate. Hortic Environ Biotechnol 57:378–384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13580-016-0087-8
Dong H, Lan Q, Zhou Y, Zhou Y, Bao Z, Wen Q, Li X (2022) Exogenous γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatment suppresses ethylene biosynthesis in hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia aruguta) during postharvest storage. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202210.0283.v1
Dorostkar M, Moradinezhad F (2022) Postharvest quality responses of pomegranate fruit (cv. Shishe Kab) to ethanol, sodium bicarbonate dips and modified atmosphere packaging. Adv Hortic Sci 36(2):107. https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-12041
Ehteshami S, Abdollahi F, Ramezanian A, Dastjerdi AM, Rahimzadeh M (2019) Enhanced chilling tolerance of pomegranate fruit by edible coatings combined with malic and oxalic acid treatments. Sci Hortic 250:388–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2019.02.075
Ehteshami S, Abdollahi F, Ramezanian A, Mirzaalian Dastjerdi A (2020) Maintenance of quality and bioactive compounds in pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum L.) by combined application of organic acids and chitosan edible coating. J Food Biochem 44(9):13393. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13393
El-Beltagi HS, Al-Otaibi HH, Ali MR (2023) A new approach for extending shelf-life of pomegranate arils with combined application of salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate. Horticulturae 9(2):225. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020225
El-Eryan EE (2020) Influence of different modified atmosphere packaging on quality characteristics of wonderful pomegranate arils. J Plant Prod Sci 11(7):675–680. https://doi.org/10.21608/jpp.2020.110592
El-Mahdy MT, Youssef M, Elazab DS (2022) In vitro screening for salinity tolerance in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) by morphological and molecular characterization. Acta Physiol Plant 44(2):27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-022-03361-2
Espitia PJP, Soares NDFF, Coimbra JSDR, de Andrade NJ, Cruz RS, Medeiros EAA (2012) Zinc oxide nanoparticles: synthesis, antimicrobial activity and food packaging applications. Food Bioproc Technol 5:1447–1464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-012-0797-6
FAO (2019) El sistema alimentario en México oportunidades para el campo mexicano en la agenda 2030 de desarrollo sostenible. Organización de Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura. https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.10554.54126
Ferreira DC, Molina G, Pelissari FM (2020) Effect of edible coating from cassava starch and babassu flour (Orbignya phalerata) on brazilian cerrado fruits quality. Food Bioproc Technol 13(1):172–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-019-02366-z
Firdous N, Moradinezhad F, Farooq F, Dorostkar M (2023) Advances in formulation, functionality, and application of edible coatings on fresh produce and fresh-cut products: a review. Food Chem 10:135186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.135186
Fraga CG, Croft KD, Kennedy DO, Tomás-Barberán FA (2019) The effects of polyphenols and other bioactives on human health. Food Func 10(2):514–528. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8fo01997e
Gao H, Lu Z, Yang Y, Wang D, Yang T, Cao M, Cao W (2018) Melatonin treatment reduces chilling injury in peach fruit through its regulation of membrane fatty acid contents and phenolic metabolism. Food Chem 245:659–666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.10.008
Ge Y, Duan B, Li C, Tang Q, Li X, Wei M, Li J (2018) γ-Aminobutyric acid delays senescence of blueberry fruit by regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolism and phenylpropanoid pathway. Sci Hortic 240:303–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.06.044
Ge Y, Chen Y, Li C, Zhao J, Wei M, Li X, Yang S, Mi Y (2019) Effect of sodium nitroprusside treatment on shikimate and phenylpropanoid pathways of apple fruit. Food Chem 290:263–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.04.010
Gill SS, Tuteja N (2010) Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant machinery in abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. Plant Physiol Bio Chem 48(12):909–930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2010.08.016
Giménez MJ, Serrano M, Valverde JM, Martínez-Romero D, Castillo S, Valero D, Guillén F (2017) Preharvest salicylic acid and acetylsalicylic acid treatments preserve quality and enhance antioxidant systems during postharvest storage of sweet cherry cultivars. J Sci Food Agric 97(4):1220–1228. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.7853
González-Gordo S, Bautista R, Claros MG, Cañas A, Palma JM, Corpas FJ (2019) Nitric oxide-dependent regulation of sweet pepper fruit ripening. J Exp Bot 70(17):4557–4570. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erz136
González-Saucedo A, Barrera-Necha LL, Ventura-Aguilar RI, Correa-Pacheco ZN, Bautista-Baños S, Hernández-López M (2019) Extension of the postharvest quality of bell pepper by applying nanostructured coatings of chitosan with Byrsonima crassifolia extract (L.) Kunth. Postharvest Biol Technol 149:74–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2018.11.019
Güneş NT, Yildiz M, Varis B, Horzum Ö (2020) Postharvest salicylic acid treatment influences some quality attributes in air-stored pomegranate fruit. J Agric Sci 26(4):499–506. https://doi.org/10.15832/ankutbd.549669
Habibi F, Ramezanian A, Rahemi M, Eshghi S, Guillén F, Serrano M, Valero D (2019) Postharvest treatments with γ-aminobutyric acid, methyl jasmonate, or methyl salicylate enhance chilling tolerance of blood orange fruit at prolonged cold storage. J Sci Food Agric 99(14):6408–6417. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9920
Habibi F, Ramezanian A, Guillén F, Serrano M, Valero D (2020) Blood oranges maintain bioactive compounds and nutritional quality by postharvest treatments with γ-aminobutyric acid, methyl jasmonate or methyl salicylate during cold storage. Food Chem 306:125634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125634
Harkin C, Mehlmer N, Woortman DV, Brück TB, Brück WM (2019) Nutritional and additive uses of chitin and chitosan in the food industry. In: Sustainable agriculture reviews 36: chitin and chitosan: applications in food, agriculture, Pharmacy, medicine and wastewater treatment. pp1–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16581-9_1
Hasheminejad N, Khodaiyan F (2020) The effect of clove essential oil loaded chitosan nanoparticles on the shelf life and quality of pomegranate arils. Food Chem 309:125520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125520
Hira N, Mitalo OW, Okada R, Sangawa M, Masuda K, Fujita N, Kubo Y (2022) The effect of layer-by-layer edible coating on the shelf life and transcriptome of ‘Kosui’ Japanese pear fruit. Postharvest Biol Technol 185:111787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2021.111787
Hu Y, Jiang Y, Han X, Wang H, Pan J, Yu D (2017) Jasmonate regulates leaf senescence and tolerance to cold stress: crosstalk with other phytohormones. J Exp Bot 68(6):1361–1369. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erx004
Huang H, Jian Q, Jiang Y, Duan X, Qu H (2016) Enhanced chilling tolerance of banana fruit treated with malic acid prior to low-temperature storage. Postharvest Biol Technol 111:209–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2015.09.008
Ioannou I (2013) Prevention of enzymatic browning in fruit and vegetables. Eur Sci J 9:30
Jannatizadeh A (2019) Exogenous melatonin applying confers chilling tolerance in pomegranate fruit during cold storage. Sci Hortic 246:544–549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.11.027
Ji J, Yue J, Xie T, Chen W, Du C, Chang E, Shi S (2018) Roles of γ-aminobutyric acid on salinity-responsive genes at transcriptomic level in poplar: Involving in abscisic acid and ethylene-signalling pathways. Planta 248:675–690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-018-2915-9
Jiang L, Jin P, Wang L, Yu X, Wang H, Zheng Y (2015) Methyl jasmonate primes defense responses against botrytis cinerea and reduces disease development in harvested table grapes. Sci Hortic 192:218–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2015.06.015
Jin P, Zheng Y, Tang S, Rui H, Wang CY (2009) Enhancing disease resistance in peach fruit with methyl jasmonate. J Sci Food Agric 89(5):802–808. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.3516
Kahramanoğlu İ, Aktaş M, Gündüz Ş (2018) Effects of fludioxonil, propolis and black seed oil application on the postharvest quality of “Wonderful” pomegranate. PLoS ONE 13(5):0198411. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0198411
Kahramanoglu I, Usanmaz S (2017) Effects of propolis and black seed oil on the shelf life of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. Food Sci Nutr 1(2):114–121. https://doi.org/10.22158/fsns.v1n2p114
Karki HS, Ham JH (2014) The roles of the shikimate pathway genes, aroA and aroB, in virulence, growth and UV tolerance of B urkholderia glumae strain 411gr-6. Mol Plant Pathol 15(9):940–947. https://doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12147
Kawhena TG, Opara UL, Fawole OA (2022) Effect of gum arabic and starch-based coating and different polyliners on postharvest quality attributes of whole pomegranate fruit. Processes 10(1):164. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10010164
Ke CL, Deng FS, Chuang CY, Lin CH (2021) Antimicrobial actions and applications of chitosan. Polymers 13(6):904. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13060904
Khan MR, Di Giuseppe FA, Torrieri E, Sadiq MB (2021) Recent advances in biopolymeric antioxidant films and coatings for preservation of nutritional quality of minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Food Packag Shelf Life 30:100752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2021.100752
Kirandeep D, Kaur P, Singh B, Kumar N (2018) Effect of temperature and headspace O2 and CO2 concentration on the respiratory behaviour of fresh yellow bell-pepper (Oribelli). Int J Chem Stud 6(2):3214–3420
Koo YM, Heo AY, Choi HW (2020) Salicylic acid as a safe plant protector and growth regulator. Plant Pathol J 36(1):1. https://doi.org/10.5423/ppj.rw.12.2019.0295
Koyuncu MA, Erbas D, Onursal CE, Secmen T, Guneyli A, Sevinc Uzumcu S (2019) Postharvest treatments of salicylic acid, oxalic acid and putrescine influences bioactive compounds and quality of pomegranate during controlled atmosphere storage. J Food Sci Technol 56(1):350–359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-018-3495-1
Kulkarni AP, Aradhya SM (2005) Chemical changes and antioxidant activity in pomegranate arils during fruit development. Food Chem 93(2):319–324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.09.029
Kumar A, Singh O, Kohli K (2017) Post-harvest changes in functional and sensory properties of guava (Psidium guajava L. cv. Pant Prabhat) fruits as influenced by different edible coating treatments. J Pharmacogn. Phytochem 6(6):1109–1116
Kumar N, Kaur P, Devgan K, Attkan AK (2020) Shelf life prolongation of cherry tomato using magnesium hydroxide reinforced bio-nanocomposite and conventional plastic films. J Food Process Preserv 44(4):14379. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.14379
Kushwaha SC, Bera MB, Kumar P (2020) Pomegranate. Antioxid Fruits Propert Health Benef. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7285-2_15
Li H, Wang Y, Liu F, Yang Y, Wu Z, Cai H, Zhang Q, Wang Y, Li P (2015) Effects of chitosan on control of postharvest blue mold decay of apple fruit and the possible mechanisms involved. Sci Hortic 186:77–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2015.02.014
Li L, Dou N, Zhang H, Wu C (2021) The versatile GABA in plants. Plant Signal Behav 16(3):1862565. https://doi.org/10.1080/15592324.2020.1862565
Lin A, Wang Y, Tang J, Xue P, Li C, Liu L, Hu B, Yang F, Chu Loake GJ., C, (2012) Nitric oxide and protein S-nitrosylation are integral to hydrogen peroxide-induced leaf cell death in rice. Plant Physiol 158(1):451–464. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.111.184531
Liu Q, Zhang J, Li D, Lang J, Zai S, Hao J, Wang X (2018) Inhibition of amphiphilic N-Alkyl-O-carboxymethyl chitosan derivatives on Alternaria macrospora. Biomed Res Int. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5236324
Liu B, Li Y, Zhang X, Liu Y, Liu C, Wang H, Li C (2022) Exogenous GABA prevents marssonina apple blotch damage in’royal gala’apple seedlings. Sci Hortic 299:111005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111005
Liu Y, Chen T, Tao N, Yan T, Wang Q, Li Q (2023) Nitric oxide is essential to keep the postharvest quality of fruits and vegetables. Horticulturae 9(2):135. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020135
Lopez-Moya F, Colom-Valiente MF, Martinez-Peinado P, Martinez-Lopez JE, Puelles E, Sempere-Ortells JM, Lopez-Llorca LV (2015) Carbon and nitrogen limitation increase chitosan antifungal activity in Neurospora crassa and fungal human pathogens. Fungal Biol 119(2–3):154–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funbio.2014.12.003
Lufu R, Ambaw A, Opara UL (2021) The Influence of internal packaging (liners) on moisture dynamics and physical and physiological quality of pomegranate fruit during cold storage. Foods 10(6):1388. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061388
Ma Y, Huang D, Chen C, Zhu S, Gao J (2019) Regulation of ascorbate-glutathione cycle in peaches via nitric oxide treatment during cold storage. Sci Hortic 247:400–406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.12.039
Madebo MP, Hu S, Zheng Y, Jin P (2021) Mechanisms of chilling tolerance in melatonin treated postharvest fruits and vegetables: a review. J Future Foods 1(2):156–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfutfo.2022.01.005
Maghoumi M, Gómez PA, Mostofi Y, Zamani Z, Artés-Hernández F, Artés F (2013) Combined effect of heat treatment, UV-C and super atmospheric oxygen packing on phenolics and browning related enzymes of fresh-cut pomegranate arils. LWT Food Sci Technol 54(2):389–396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2013.06.006
Maghoumi M, Amodio ML, Cisneros-zevallos L, Colelli G (2023) Prevention of chilling injury in pomegranates revisited: pre-and post-harvest factors, mode of actions, and technologies involved. Foods 12(7):1462. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071462
Mahesar SA, Kori AH, Sherazi STH, Kandhro AA, Laghari ZH (2019) Pomegranate (Punica granatum) seed oil. Fruit Oils Chem Funct 19:691–709. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12473-1_37
Malekshahi G, ValizadehKaji B (2021) Effects of postharvest edible coatings to maintain qualitative properties and to extend shelf-life of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.). Int J Hortic Sci 8(1):67–80
Malekzadeh P, Khosravi-Nejad F, Hatamnia AA, Sheikhakbari Mehr R (2017) Impact of postharvest exogenous γ-aminobutyric acid treatment on cucumber fruit in response to chilling tolerance. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 23:827–836. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-017-0475-2
Maqbool M, Ali A, Alderson PG, Mohamed MTM, Siddiqui Y, Zahid N (2011) Postharvest application of gum arabic and essential oils for controlling anthracnose and quality of banana and papaya during cold storage. Postharvest Biol Technol 62(1):71–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2011.04.002
Melgarejo-Sánchez P, Nunez-Gomez D, Martínez-Nicolás JJ, Hernández F, Legua P, Melgarejo P (2021) Pomegranate variety and pomegranate plant part, relevance from bioactive point of view: a review. Bioresour Bioprocess 8:1–29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40643-020-00351-5
Mirdehghan SH, Rahemi M, Serrano M, Guillén F, Martínez-Romero D, Valero D (2006) Prestorage heat treatment to maintain nutritive and functional properties during postharvest cold storage of pomegranate. J Agric Food Chem 54(22):8495–8500. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf0615146
Mirdehghan SH, Rahemi M, Martínez-Romero D, Guillén F, Valverde JM, Zapata PJ, Serrano M, Valero D (2007) Reduction of pomegranate chilling injury during storage after heat treatment: role of polyamines. Postharvest Biol Technol 44(1):19–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2006.11.001
Molaei S, Soleimani A, Rabiei V, Razavi F (2021) Impact of chitosan in combination with potassium sorbate treatment on chilling injury and quality attributes of pomegranate fruit during cold storage. J Food Biochem 45(4):13633. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13633
Molla SMH, Rastegar S, Omran VG, Khademi O (2022) Ameliorative effect of melatonin against storage chilling injury in pomegranate husk and arils through promoting the antioxidant system. Sci Hortic 295:110889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2022.110889
Moller IM (2001) Plant mitochondria and oxidative stress: electron transport, NADPH turnover, and metabolism of reactive oxygen species. Annu Rev Plant Biol 52(1):561–591. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.arplant.52.1.561
Moradinezhad F, Khayyat M (2014) Effects of intermittent warming and prestorage treatments (hot water, salicylic acid, calcium chloride) on postharvest life of pomegranate fruit cv. ‘Shishe-Kab’ during long-term cold storage. Int J Hortic Sci 1(1):43–51. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijpti.2013.059286
Moradinezhad F, Khayyat M, Ranjbari F, Maraki Z (2018) Physiological and quality responses of Shishe-Kab pomegranates to short-term high CO2 treatment and modified atmosphere packaging. Int J Fruit Sci 18(3):287–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/15538362.2017.1419399
Moradinezhad F, Khayyat M, Ranjbari F, Maraki Z (2019) Vacuum packaging optimises quality and reduces postharvest losses of pomegranate fruits. J Hortic Postharvest Res 2:15–26
Moradinezhad F, Ansarifar E, Mohammadian Moghaddam M (2020) Extending the shelf life and maintaining quality of minimally-processed pomegranate arils using ascorbic acid coating and modified atmosphere packaging. J Food Meas Charact 14:3445–3454. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-020-00591-1
Munhuweyi K, Caleb OJ, Lennox CL, van Reenen AJ, Opara UL (2017a) In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of chitosan-essential oils against pomegranate fruit pathogens. Postharvest Biol Technol 129:9–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2017.03.002
Munhuweyi K, Lennox CL, Meitz-Hopkins JC, Caleb OJ, Sigge GO, Opara UL (2017b) Investigating the effects of crab shell chitosan on fungal mycelial growth and postharvest quality attributes of pomegranate whole fruit and arils. Sci Hortic 220:78–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2017.03.038
Mwelase S, Fawole OA (2022) Effect of chitosan-24-epibrassinolide composite coating on the quality attributes of late-harvested pomegranate fruit under simulated commercial storage conditions. Plants 11(3):351. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11030351
Naila A, Flint S, Fletcher G, Bremer P, Meerdink G (2010) Control of biogenic amines in food—existing and emerging approaches. J Food Sci 75(7):139–150. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01774.x
Nazoori F, ZamaniBahramabadi E, Mirdehghan SH, Rafie A (2020) Extending the shelf life of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) by GABA coating application. J. Food Meas. Charact 14(5):2760–2772. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-020-00521-1
Nazoori F, ZamaniBahramabadi E, Rafie A, Mirdehghan SH (2022) Combined application of gamma-aminobutyric acid and carnauba wax as edible coating on pomegranates in cold storage. J Agric Sci Technol 24(3):591–602
Nerya O, Gizis A, Tsyilling A, Gemarasni D, Sharabi-Nov A, Ben-Arie R (2006) Controlled atmosphere storage of pomegranate. In: IV international conference on managing quality in chains-the integrated view on fruits and vegetables quality 712 (pp. 655–660). https://doi.org/10.17660/actahortic.2006.712.81
Ngcobo ME, Delele MA, Opara UL, Meyer CJ (2013) Performance of multi-packaging for table grapes based on airflow, cooling rates and fruit quality. J Food Eng 116(2):613–621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2012.12.044
Osei-Kwarteng M, Mahunu GK, Abu M, Apaliya M (2023) Alternative green and novel postharvest treatments for minimally processed fruits and vegetables. doi https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111978
Ozdemir KS, Gökmen V (2017) Extending the shelf-life of pomegranate arils with chitosan-ascorbic acid coating. LWT Food Sci Technol 76:172–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2016.10.057
Palma-Guerrero J, Lopez-Jimenez JA, Pérez-Berná AJ, Huang IC, Jansson HB, Salinas J, Lopez-Llorca LV (2010) Membrane fluidity determines sensitivity of filamentous fungi to chitosan. Mol Microbiol 75(4):1021–1032. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2958.2009.07039.x
Pan L, Zhao X, Chen M, Fu Y, Xiang M, Chen J (2020) Effect of exogenous methyl jasmonate treatment on disease resistance of postharvest kiwifruit. Food Chem 305:125483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125483
Pettignano A, Charlot A, Fleury E (2019) Carboxyl-functionalized derivatives of carboxymethyl cellulose: Towards advanced biomedical applications. Polym Rev 59(3):510–560. https://doi.org/10.1080/15583724.2019.1579226
Pfohl M, DaSilva NA, Marques E, Agudelo J, Liu C, Goedken M, Seeram NP, Ma H (2021) Hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of a standardized pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit extract in high fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6 mice. Int J Food Sci Nutr 72(4):499–510. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637486.2020.1849041
Podlešáková K, Ugena L, Spíchal L, Doležal K, De Diego N (2019) Phytohormones and polyamines regulate plant stress responses by altering GABA pathway. N Biotechnol 48:53–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2018.07.003
Qu G, Wu W, Ba L, Ma C, Ji N, Cao S (2022) Melatonin enhances the postharvest disease resistance of blueberries fruit by modulating the jasmonic acid signaling pathway and phenylpropanoid metabolites. Front. Chem 10:957581. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2022.957581
Rachappanavar V, Padiyal A, Sharma JK, Gupta SK (2022) Plant hormone-mediated stress regulation responses in fruit crops-a review. Sci Hortic 304:111302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111302
Ranjbar A, Ramezanian A (2022) Synergistic effects of modified atmosphere packaging and cinnamaldehyde on bioactive compounds, aerobic mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria of pomegranate arils during cold storage. Chem Biol Technol Agric 9(1):24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-022-00290-7
Ranjbari F, Moradinezhad F, Khayyat M (2018) Efficacy of nitric oxide and film wrapping on quality maintenance and alleviation of chilling injury on pomegranate fruit. J Agric Sci Technol 20(5):1025–1036
Ranjbari F, Moradinezhad F, Khayyat M (2016) Effect of nitric oxide on biochemical and antioxidant properties of pomegranate fruit cv. shishe-kab during cold storage. Int J Hortic Sci Technol l3: 211–219
Rao TR, Gol NB, Shah KK (2011) Effect of postharvest treatments and storage temperatures on the quality and shelf life of sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.). Sci Hortic 132:18–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2011.09.032
Ravi K, Pareek S, Pavan K, Shashank A (2017) Effect of postharvest oxalic acid treatment on ethylene production, quality parameters and antioxidant potential of ‘gola’ber (ziziphus mauritiana lamk.) fruit during storage. Res. J. Agric. Sci 8(6):1351–1353. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.701.039
Resende NS, Gonçalves GAS, Reis KC, Tonoli GHD, Boas EVBV (2018) Chitosan/cellulose nanofibril nanocomposite and its effect on quality of coated strawberries. J Food Qual. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1727426
Saba MK, Amini R (2017) Nano-ZnO/carboxymethyl cellulose-based active coating impact on ready-to-use pomegranate during cold storage. Food Chem 232:721–726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.04.076
Sahu SK, Barman K, Singh AK (2020) Nitric oxide application for postharvest quality retention of guava fruits. Acta Physiol Plant 42:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-020-03143-8
Santisree P, Jalli LCL, Bhatnagar-Mathur P, Sharma KK (2020) Emerging roles of salicylic acid and jasmonates in plant abiotic stress responses. Protect Chem Agents Ameliorat Plant Abiotic Stress Biochem Mol Perspect 22:342–373. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119552154.ch17
Sayyari M, Babalar M, Kalantari S, Serrano M, Valero D (2009) Effect of salicylic acid treatment on reducing chilling injury in stored pomegranates. Postharvest Biol Technol 53(3):152–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2009.03.005
Sayyari M, Valero D, Babalar M, Kalantari S, Zapata PJ, Serrano M (2010) Prestorage oxalic acid treatment maintained visual quality, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant potential of pomegranate after long-term storage at 2 °C. J Agric Food Chem 58(11):6804–6808. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf100196h
Sayyari M, Babalar M, Kalantari S, Martínez-Romero D, Guillén F, Serrano M, Valero D (2011a) Vapor treatments with methyl salicylate or methyl jasmonate alleviated chilling injury and enhanced antioxidant potential during postharvest storage of pomegranates. Food Chem 124(3):964–970. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.07.036
Sayyari M, Castillo S, Valero D, Díaz-Mula HM, Serrano M (2011b) Acetyl salicylic acid alleviates chilling injury and maintains nutritive and bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity during postharvest storage of pomegranates. Postharvest Biol Technol 60(2):136–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2010.12.012
Sayyari M, Aghdam MS, Salehi F, Ghanbari F (2016) Salicyloyl chitosan alleviates chilling injury and maintains antioxidant capacity of pomegranate fruits during cold storage. Sci Hortic 211:110–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2016.08.015
Sayyari M, Salehi F, Valero D (2017) New approaches to modeling methyl jasmonate effects on pomegranate quality during postharvest storage. Int J Fruit Sci 17(4):374–390. https://doi.org/10.1080/15538362.2017.1329051
Selcuk N, Erkan M (2015) Changes in phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of sour–sweet pomegranates cv. ‘Hicaznar’ during long-term storage under modified atmosphere packaging. Postharvest Biol Technol 109:30–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2015.05.018
Serna-Escolano V, Martínez-Romero D, Giménez MJ, Serrano M, García-Martínez S, Valero D, Zapata PJ (2021) Enhancing antioxidant systems by preharvest treatments with methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid leads to maintain lemon quality during cold storage. Food Chem 338:128044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128044
Serrano M, Martínez-Romero D, Castillo S, Guillén F, Valero D (2004) Role of calcium and heat treatments in alleviating physiological changes induced by mechanical damage in plum. Postharvest Biol Technol 34(2):155–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2004.05.004
Serry NK (2019) Postharvest quality and chilling injury of “succary” pomegranates as effected by different packaging types. Future J Biol 3:1–11. https://doi.org/10.37229/fsa.fjb.2019.07.19
Shaarawi SA, Salem AS, Elmaghraby IM, Abd El-Moniem EA (2016) Effect of salicylic acid, calcium chloride and calcium lactate applications on quality attributes of minimally-processed’ wonderful’ pomegranate arils. Not Bot Horti Agrobot Cluj-Napoca 44(2):508–517. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha44210534
Sharma RR, Datta SC, Varghese E (2020) Kaolin-based particle film sprays reduce the incidence of pests, diseases and storage disorders and improve postharvest quality of ‘delicious’ apples. Crop Prot 127:104950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2019.104950
Shelp BJ, Bown AW, Zarei A (2017) 4-Aminobutyrate (GABA): a metabolite and signal with practical significance. Bot 95(11):1015–1032. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2017-0135
Shelp BJ, Aghdam MS, Flaherty EJ (2021) γ-Aminobutyrate (GABA) regulated plant defense: mechanisms and opportunities. Plants 10(9):1939. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10091939
Shen X, Zhang M, Fan K, Guo Z (2020) Effects of ε-polylysine/chitosan composite coating and pressurized argon in combination with MAP on quality and microorganisms of fresh-cut potatoes. Food Bioproc Technol 13:145–158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-019-02388-7
Sheteiwy MS, An J, Yin M, Jia X, Guan Y, He F, Hu J (2019) Cold plasma treatment and exogenous salicylic acid priming enhances salinity tolerance of Oryza sativa seedlings. Protoplasma 256:79–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-018-1279-0
Shomali A, Aliniaeifard S, Didaran F, Lotfi M, Mohammadian M, Seif M, Kalaji HM (2021) Synergistic effects of melatonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid on protection of photosynthesis system in response to multiple abiotic stressors. Cell 10(7):1631. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10071631
Sirelkhatim A, Mahmud S, Seeni A, Kaus NHM, Ann LC, Bakhori SKM, Mohamad D (2015) Review on zinc oxide nanoparticles: antibacterial activity and toxicity mechanism. Nano-Micro Lett 7:219–242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-015-0040-x
Sosa SM, Huertas R, Pereira VJ (2023) Combination of zinc oxide photocatalysis with membrane filtration for surface water disinfection. Membr 13(1):56. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13010056
Stawarska A, Lepionka T, Białek A, Gawryjołek M, Bobrowska-Korczak B (2020) Pomegranate seed oil and bitter melon extract affect fatty acids composition and metabolism in hepatic tissue in rats. Molecules 25(22):5232. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25225232
Sun Q, Zhang N, Wang J, Cao Y, Li X, Zhang H, Guo YD (2016) A label-free differential proteomics analysis reveals the effect of melatonin on promoting fruit ripening and anthocyanin accumulation upon postharvest in tomato. J Pineal Res 61(2):138–153. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12315
Taghipour L, Rahemi M, Assar P, Mirdehghan SH, Ramezanian A (2021a) Intermittent warming as an efficient postharvest treatment affects the enzymatic and non-enzymatic responses of pomegranate during cold storage. J Food Meas Charact 15:12–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-020-00607-w
Taghipour L, Rahemi M, Assar P, Ramezanian A, Mirdehghan SH (2021b) Alleviating chilling injury in stored pomegranate using a single intermittent warming cycle: fatty acid and polyamine modifications. Int J Food Sci. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/2931353
Talaie A, Sarcheshmeh MA, Bahadoran F, Sherafatian D (2004) The effects of hot water treatment and in polyethylene bag packaging on the storage life and quality of pomegranate (cv: malas-saveh). J Agric Sci 35:369–377
Tan DX, Manchester LC, Liu X, Rosales-Corral SA, Acuna-Castroviejo D, Reiter RJ (2013) Mitochondria and chloroplasts as the original sites of melatonin synthesis: a hypothesis related to melatonin’s primary function and evolution in eukaryotes. J Pineal Res 54(2):127–138. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12026
Valdenegro M, Fuentes L, Bernales M, Huidobro C, Monsalve L, Hernández I, Schelle M, Simpson R (2022) Antioxidant and fatty acid changes in pomegranate peel with induced chilling injury and browning by ethylene during long storage times. Front Plant Sci 13:771094. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.771094
Valero D, Diaz-Mula HM, Zapata PJ, Castillo S, Guillen F, Martinez-Romero D, Serrano M (2011) Postharvest treatments with salicylic acid, acetylsalicylic acid or oxalic acid delayed ripening and enhanced bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in sweet cherry. J Agric Food Chem 59(10):5483–5489. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf200873j
Valero D, Mirdehghan SH, Sayyari M, Serrano M (2015) Vapor treatments, chilling, storage, and antioxidants in pomegranates. In: processing and impact on active components in food. Academic Press, pp 189–196. doi https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-404699-3.00023-8
Varasteh F, Arzani K, Barzegar M, Zamani Z (2018) Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit storability improvement using pre-storage chitosan coating technique. J Agric Sci Technol 19:389–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.07.031
Wang Y, Luo Z, Huang X, Yang K, Gao S, Du R (2014) Effect of exogenous γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatment on chilling injury and antioxidant capacity in banana peel. Sci Hortic 168:132–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2014.01.022
Wang Y, Luo Z, Khan ZU, Mao L, Ying T (2015a) Effect of nitric oxide on energy metabolism in postharvest banana fruit in response to chilling stress. Postharvest Biol Technol 108:21–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2015.05.007
Wang L, Jin P, Wang J, Jiang L, Shan T, Zheng Y (2015b) Effect of β-aminobutyric acid on cell wall modification and senescence in sweet cherry during storage at 20 °C. Food Chem 175:471–477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.12.011
Wang Z, Zheng L, Li C, Wu S, Xiao Y (2017) Preparation and antimicrobial activity of sulfopropyl chitosan in an ionic liquid aqueous solution. J Appl Polym Sci 134(26):10. https://doi.org/10.1002/app.44989
Wang J, Wu D, Wang Y, Xie D (2019a) Jasmonate action in plant defense against insects. J Exp Bot 70(13):3391–3400. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erz174
Wang B, Jiang H, Bi Y, He X, Wang Y, Li Y, Zheng X, Prusky D (2019b) Preharvest multiple sprays with sodium nitroprusside promote wound healing of harvested muskmelons by activation of phenylpropanoid metabolism. Postharvest Biol Technol 158:110988. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2019.110988
Wang SY, Shi XC, Liu FQ, Laborda P (2021) Effects of exogenous methyl jasmonate on quality and preservation of postharvest fruits: A review. Food Chem 353:129482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129482
Wu B, Guo Q, Li Q, Ha Y, Li X, Chen W (2014) Impact of postharvest nitric oxide treatment on antioxidant enzymes and related genes in banana fruit in response to chilling tolerance. Postharvest Biol Technol 92:157–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2014.01.017
Xu M, Dong J, Zhang M, Xu X, Sun L (2012) Cold-induced endogenous nitric oxide generation plays a role in chilling tolerance of loquat fruit during postharvest storage. Postharvest Biol Technol 65:5–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2011.10.008
Xu T, Chen Y, Kang H (2019) Melatonin is a potential target for improving post-harvest preservation of fruits and vegetables. Front Plant Sci 10:1388. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01388
Yan B, Zhang Z, Zhang P, Zhu X, Jing Y, Wei J, Wu B (2019) Nitric oxide enhances resistance against black spot disease in muskmelon and the possible mechanisms involved. Sci Hortic 256:108650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2019.108650
Yan D, Li Y, Liu Y, Li N, Zhang X, Yan C (2021) Antimicrobial properties of chitosan and chitosan derivatives in the treatment of enteric infections. Molecules 26(23):7136. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26237136
Yang J, Duan G, Li C, Liu L, Han G, Zhang Y, Wang C (2019) The crosstalks between jasmonic acid and other plant hormone signaling highlight the involvement of jasmonic acid as a core component in plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Front Plant Sci 10:1349. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01349
Zhai R, Liu J, Liu F, Zhao Y, Liu L, Fang C, Xu L (2018) Melatonin limited ethylene production, softening and reduced physiology disorder in pear (Pyrus communis L.) fruit during senescence. Postharvest Biol Technol 139:38–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2018.01.017
Zhao ML, Wang JN, Shan W, Fan JG, Kuang JF, Wu KQ, Lu WJ (2013) Induction of jasmonate signalling regulators MaMYC2s and their physical interactions with MaICE1 in methyl jasmonate-induced chilling tolerance in banana fruit. Plant Cell Environ 36(1):30–51. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3040.2012.02551.x
Zhao X, Xia M, Wei X, Xu C, Luo Z, Mao L (2019) Consolidated cold and modified atmosphere package system for fresh strawberry supply chains. LWT-Food Sci Technol 109:207–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2019.04.032
Zhao Y, Tang J, Song C, Qi S, Lin Q, Cui Y, Duan Y (2021) Nitric oxide alleviates chilling injury by regulating the metabolism of lipid and cell wall in cold-storage peach fruit. Plant Physiol Biochem 169:63–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.10.039
Zhu SH, Zhou J (2007) Effect of nitric oxide on ethylene production in strawberry fruit during storage. Food Chem 100(4):1517–1522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.12.022
Zhu J, Li C, Fan Y, Qu L, Huang R, Liu J, Ge Y (2022) γ-Aminobutyric acid regulates mitochondrial energy metabolism and organic acids metabolism in apples during postharvest ripening. Postharvest Biol Technol 186:111846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2022.111846
Zuccarelli R, Rodríguez-Ruiz M, Lopes-Oliveira PJ, Pascoal GB, Andrade SC, Furlan CM, Freschi L (2021) Multifaceted roles of nitric oxide in tomato fruit ripening: NO-induced metabolic rewiring and consequences for fruit quality traits. J Exp Bot 72(3):941–958. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraa526
Funding
No funds, grants, or other support was received.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
FM: Methodology, Writing, Reviewing, Idea for review article, and Editing. AR: Investigation, Data collection, Writing and Reviewing.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethics Approval
The authors will follow the Ethical Responsibilities of Authors and COPE rules.
Consent to Participate
On behalf of all co-authors I believe the participants are giving informed consent to participate in this study.
Consent for Publication
I, Farid Moradinezhad give my consent for submitted manuscript to be published in the JPGR.
Additional information
Handling Editor: Nicola Busatto.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Moradinezhad, F., Ranjbar, A. Role of Plant Growth Regulators and Eco-Friendly Postharvest Treatments on Alleviating Chilling Injury and Preserving Quality of Pomegranate Fruit and Arils: A Review. J Plant Growth Regul 43, 1368–1383 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-023-11189-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-023-11189-4