To learn how salicylic acid (SA) may affect disease resistance in mango, mango fruit (Mangifera
indica L. cv. ‘Matisu’) were treated with 1mmolL−1 SA solution under vacuum infiltration for 2min at
a low pressure (−80 kPa) and for an additional 10 min at air pressure. The fruit were inoculated with
anthracnose (Colletotichum gloeosporioides Penz.) spore suspension (1 × 104 CFUmL−1) and incubated
at 13 ◦C, 85–95% RH. Disease incidence and lesion diameter in/on the SA-treated fruit were 37.5% and
20.9% lower than that in/on control fruit on the 4th day of incubation. The study further showed that
activities of defensive enzymes in the fruit were significantly enhanced by SA treatment. The activity of
phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and β-1,3-glucanase in the SA-treated fruit was over 6- or 0.9-fold
higher than that in control fruit on the 4th day after the fruit being treated with SA, respectively. Level
of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or superoxide radicals (O2
−) generation rate in SA-treated fruit was 22.3%
or 79.4% higher than that in controls on the 8th day after the fruit being treated with SA, respectively.
These results suggested that PAL and β-1,3-glucanase, as well as H2O2 or O2
−, may be involved in the
enhancement of disease resistance in mango fruit.