Amelioration of postharvest chilling injury in cowpea (Vigna sinensis) by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments

The reduction in the quality of harvested cowpeas due to physiological disorders resulting from chilling injury (CI) results in significant economic losses. In the current study, the effect of methyl jasmonate (MeJA, a stress-ameliorating compound) on CI in cowpea was investigated. MeJA at 1 mu M significantly reduced CI in cowpea fruit during a ten-day period of storage at 4 degrees C. Results showed that MeJA with mu M significantly maintained the sensory quality of cowpea, and inhibited the increase on CI index, weight loss, relative conductivity, malondialdehyde content and reduced the decrease on the content of TSS, ascorbic acid, chlorophyll. The activity antioxidant enzymes, including CAT and POD were induced, and PPO was inhibited by MeJA treatment. Treatment with 1 M MeJA exerted the best preservation effect. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.