The effect of carboxymethyl cellulose and alginate coating combined with brewer yeast on postharvest grape preservation was investigated. The postharvest grapes were coated with 2% of alginate and 3% of carboxymethyl cellulose combined with1.5×109 CFU/mL of brewer yeast. The combined treatment samples showed good sensory character on day 13 compared with control samples or only coated samples. The increase of weight loss and decrease of total soluble solids of combined treatment grapes were restrained. Furthermore, the protective enzymes including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase of combined treatment sample showed higher activities. Accordingly, the increase of malonaldehyde content was also restrained and more vitamin C was preserved in combined treatment samples. At day 13, the weight loss rate and the total soluble solids of grape treated with coating + yeast were 23.6% lower and 20.6% higher than those of control samples, respectively. Coating grapes with 2% of alginate and 3% of carboxymethyl cellulose combined with brewer yeast of1.5×109 CFU/mL was a well-proven method to preserve postharvest grapes.

Cherry tomatoes, a very popular fruit, are highly susceptible to microbial infestation, which cause significant economic losses. In order to preserve cherry tomatoes better, we treat them with a Chitosan (CTS) and Curdlan (CUR) composite coating. The lowest inhibitory concentration of CTS/CUR composite coating on Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas syringae, the growth curves, and the changes of the cell lysis rate were determined to explore the inhibitory mechanism of CTS/CUR composite coating on Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas syringae and the microscopic morphology of Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas syringae was observed using scanning electron microscopy at the same time. The results showed that the CTS/CUR composite coating could effectively inhibit the growth of Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas, and the inhibitory effect reflected the concentration-dependent characteristics. The electron microscopy results indicated that the inhibition of Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas syringae by the CTS/CUR composite coating might originate from its disruptive effect on the cell wall and cell membrane of the bacterium.

Postharvest jujubes were fumigated with 5, 10, 20 or 40 μmol/L carbon monoxide (CO) for 1 h and then preserved for 30 d at ambient temperature. The effects of CO fumigation on the respiration and oxidase activities of postharvest jujube were determined. Results showed that low CO concentrations (5–10 μmol/L) could restrain the increases of respiration rate, malonaldehyde content, and relative membrane permeability of postharvest jujube. However, high CO concentrations (20–40 μmol/L) showed adverse effects on jujube preservation. Jujube fumigated with 10 μmol/L CO demonstrated optimum effects, and this CO concentration effectively reduced the oxidase activities including lipoxygenase, cytochrome oxidase, polyphenol oxidase and ascorbic oxidase during jujube storage time. As for the reduction of respiration rate and oxidase activities, the delay of membrane lipid peroxidation, fumigating jujube with appropriate concentration of CO might be applied to preserve postharvest jujube and other fruits.