Melatonin Treatment to Pomegranate Trees Enhances Fruit Bioactive Compounds and Quality Traits at Harvest and during Postharvest Storage.

ABSTRACT: The effect of melatonin pomegranate tree treatments on fruit quality and bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity at harvest and during storage at 10 °C for 60 days was assayed in two consecutive years, 2019 and 2020. In the first year, trees were treated with 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 mM of melatonin along the developmental fruit growth cycle, and results showed that bioactive compounds (total phenolics and total and individual anthocyanins) and antioxidant activity at harvest were higher in fruits from melatonin-treated trees than in controls. Other fruit quality parameters, such as firmness, total soluble solids and aril red colour, were also increased as a consequence of melatonin treatment. In fruit from control tress, firmness and acidity levels decreased during storage, while increases

SUBMITTER: Lorente-Mento JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8224012 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature