The ripening and senescence of postharvest fruits are regulated
by many factors. Previous studies indicated that AITC treatment
maintained postharvest quality of raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and blackberry during storage.
In the present study,application of AITC to mulberry fruit was found to significantly
reduce fruit decay and loss in total soluble solids and total acids,
inhibited respiration, decreased MDA accumulation and LOX
activity, maintained surface color and
firmness, suppressed total
phenolic and anthocyanin contents. However, AITC treatment had
no significant effects on antioxidant enzyme activities. These
findings suggest that AITC treatment can slow down the ripening
process and be an effective technology in maintaining postharvest
quality and prolonging the shelf life of mulberry fruit.