Guiwei’ litchi fruit were treated with 5 g a.i. L1 apple polyphenols (APP) and then stored at 25 C to
investigate the effects on pericarp browning. APP treatment effectively reduced pericarp browning and
retarded the loss of red colour. APP-treated fruit exhibited higher levels of anthocyanins and cyanidin-
3-rutinoside, which correlated with suppressed anthocyanase activity. APP treatment also maintained
membrane integrity and reduced oxidative damage, as indicated by a lower relative leakage rate, malondialdehyde
content, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The data suggest that decompartmentalisation
of peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase and respective browning substrates was reduced.
In addition, APP treatment enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase,
ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase), as well as non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity
(DPPH radical-scavenging activity and reducing power), which might be beneficial in scavenging ROS.
We propose that APP treatment is a promising safe strategy for controlling postharvest browning of litchi
fruit.