Abstract:
Cold storage is the most effective method to reduce postharvest decay and maintain quality of loquat fruit. However, loquat fruit is susceptible to chilling injury during cold storage, accompanied with chilling injury symptoms such as fruit browning and pitting, resulting in quality deterioration and economic loss. Therefore, the study on the mechanism of chilling damage and prevention in loquat fruit has important guiding significance for preservation, storage and cold chain transportation of loquat fruit. This article identifies the affecting factors , major symptoms, physiological metabolic changes, and molecular regulatory mechanisms associated with the injury in loquat fruit, including the effects of cold damage on cell membrane system, reactive oxygen metabolism, soluble sugar metabolism, respiration and ethylene metabolism, etc. It also shows the molecular regulatory mechanism of post-harvest cold damage in loquat fruit, and summarises the technical measures to prevent cold damage in loquat fruit, including low-temperature pre-storage, heat treatment, chemical substances and biological materials. The aim is to provide theoretical guidance for the post-harvest preservation and storage of loquat fruit, and to propose directions for further research on cold damage of loquat in the future.