Influence of 1-MCP treatment on the quality and antioxidative properties in cold stored ‘huanghua’ pear fruit

Postharvest ‘Huanghua’ pear fruit was treated with 1μL/L 1-MCP for 12h, and then stored at 1℃ for 120d followed by ripening at 20℃ for 7d. Fruit firmness, soluble solid content, weight loss rate, electrolyte leakage, MDA content, superoxide anion radical (O-2·) production rate, soluble protein content and activity of antioxidative enzymes were determined to investigate the effect of 1-MCP treatment on the quality and antioxidative levels in fruit. Results showed that fruit firmness, soluble protein content, and activities of SOD, POD in 1-MCP treated fruit were higher than control fruit, while soluble solid content, weight loss rate, electrolyte leakage, MDA content and O-2· production rate, CAT activity were lower. These results indicated that 1-MCP treatment improved quality of ‘Huanghua’ pear after storage, which might be related to the enhancement of activities of antioxidative enzymes and the reduction of active oxygen accumulation.