Postharvest salicylic acid treatment enhances antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruit

In order to enhance postharvest antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruits, the effects of treatment with 0 (control), 1 and 2 mM salicylic acid (SA) on total phenols (TP), flavonoids (TF), anthocyanins (TA), ascorbic acid (AA) contents, DPPH scavenging activity (TAA) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme activity were investigated in fruits stored at 4 °C for 21 days. The DPPH scavenging activity of the cornelian cherry fruits was significantly increased by SA treatment. In addition, fruits treated with SA exhibited significantly higher total phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and ascorbic acid contents, and higher PAL enzyme activity. These results suggested that SA treatment might be a powerful strategy to enhance antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruits. In addition, these results suggested that enhanced antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruits treated with SA might be due to the stimulation of PAL enzyme activity and thus triggering the phenylpropanoid–flavonoids pathways.

► SA treatment enhanced antioxidant potential of cornelian cherry fruits.
► SA treatment stimulated PAL activity in cornelian cherry fruits.
► SA enhanced antioxidant potential by triggering the biosynthetic pathways.