Brassinolide alleviated chilling injury of banana fruit by regulating unsaturated fatty acids and phenolic compounds

The effects of brassinolide (BL) on alleviating the occurrence of chilling injury (CI) of banana fruit were investigated. The present results showed that BL effectively decreased the CI index, enhanced the proline accumulation, reduced the malondialdehyde production, and accelerated starch degradation. Meanwhile, it also enhanced the activities of antioxidative enzymes and contents of the phenolic compounds, and decreased the reactive oxygen species accumulation. Higher integrity of plasma membrane was observed in the epidermal tissues and higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids were detected in the membrane, indicated that BL enhanced membrane lipid fluidity and maintained the cell membrane integrity of banana fruit. In conclusion, BL treatment is a potential method in enhancing chilling tolerance of banana fruit under low temperature storage or cold chain circulation.

Automated summary

The research found that brassinolide treatment effectively alleviated chilling injury in banana fruit by enhancing proline accumulation, reducing harmful substances production, and accelerating starch degradation. Additionally, it increased the activities of antioxidative enzymes and contents of phenolic compounds, while decreasing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. The treatment also improved the integrity of cell membrane and increased levels of unsaturated fatty acids in the membrane, indicating enhanced membrane lipid fluidity and maintenance of cell membrane integrity in banana fruit.