Melatonin (MLT) is a vital signaling molecule that regulates multiple physiological processes in higher plants. In the current study, the role of MLT in regulating chilling tolerance and its possible mechanisms in litchi fruit during storage at ambient temperatures after its removal from refrigeration was investigated. The results show that the application of MLT (400 μM, dipping for 20 min) to ‘Baitangying’ litchi fruit effectively delayed the development of chilling injury (CI) while inhibiting pericarp discoloration, as indicated by higher chromacity values (L*, a*, b*) and anthocyanin levels. MLT treatment suppressed the enhancements of the relative electrical conductivity (REC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, which might contribute to the maintenance of membrane integrity in litchi fruit. MLT treatment slowed the decline in cellular energy level, as evidenced by higher adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and a higher energy charge (EC), which might be ascribed to the increased activities of enzymes associated with energy metabolism including H⁺-ATPase, Ca²⁺-ATPase, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), and cytochrome C oxidase (CCO). In addition, MLT treatment resulted in enhanced proline accumulation, which was likely a consequence of the increased activities of ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (OAT) and Δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS) and the suppressed activity of proline dehydrogenase (PDH). These results suggest that the enhanced chilling tolerance of litchi fruit after MLT treatment might involve the regulation of energy and proline metabolism.

‘Tainong 1’ mango fruit were treated with hot water for 10 minutes at 55 °C and then stored at 5 °C for 3 weeks. After removal from low-temperature storage, the effects of hot water treatment (HWT) on chilling injury (CI), ripening and cell wall metabolism during storage (20 °C, 5 days) were investigated. HWT reduced the CI development of the fruit as manifested by firmer texture, external browning, and fungal lesions. A more rapid ripening process, as indicated by changes in firmness, respiration rate, and ethylene production, occurred in heated fruit after exposure to low temperature as compared with non-heated fruit. At the same time, the cell wall components in heated fruit contained more water-soluble pectin and less 1,2-cyclohexylenedinitrilotetraactic acid (CDTA)-soluble pectin than those in non-heated fruit. HWT also maintained higher polygalacturonase [enzyme classification (EC) 3.2.1.15] and β-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) activities as well as lower pectin methylesterase (EC 3.1.1.11) activity. In general, the changes of ripening and cell wall metabolism parameters in the heated fruit after low-temperature storage exhibited a comparable pattern to that of non-cold-stored fruit.

Postharvest litchi is susceptible to browning that limits the development of litchi industry. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is an important bioactive molecule that can regulate many physiological processes. This study examined the effects of exogenous H₂S on pericarp browning and related physiological mechanisms in postharvest litchi. The results exhibited that exogenous H₂S treatment delayed the browning of litchi pericarp and reduced the damage to cell membrane integrity during storage. This treatment inhibited the energy losses of litchi fruit by increasing the activities of H⁺-ATPase, Ca²⁺- ATPase, cytochrome C oxidase (CCO) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and regulating the expression of energy metabolism-related genes, including LcAtpB, LcSnRK2, LcAAC1, LcAOX1 and LcUCP1. In addition, H₂S treatment increased the levels of fructose, glucose, sucrose, inositol, galactose and sorbose in litchi fruit, and promoted sucrose synthesis by regulating the activities of sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose synthase (SS), acid invertase (AI) and neutral invertase (NI). Based on the current findings, we suggest that exogenous H₂S enhances the energy supply and antioxidant activity of litchi by modulating energy and sugar metabolism, thereby inhibiting fruit browning and senescence. These results indicated that H₂S treatment is an effective approach to maintaining the quality of litchi fruit and extending its shelf life.