Nitric oxide in fruit ripening: Trends and opportunities

Monitoring ethylene is crucial in regulating post-harvest life of fruits. The concept of nitric oxide (NO) involvement in antagonizing ethylene is new. NO mediated physiologies casted through regulation of plant hormones are widely reported during developmental and stress chemistry having no direct link with ripening. Research in NO biology and understanding its interplay with other signal molecules in ripening fruits suggest ways of achieving greater synergies with NO applications. Experiments focused at convincingly demonstrating the involvement of NO in altering ripening-related ethylene profile of fruits, would help develop new processes for shelf life extension. This issue being the central theme of this review, the putative mechanisms of NO intricacies with other primary and secondary signals are hypothesized. The advantage of eliciting NO endogenously may open up various biotechnological opportunities for its precise delivery into the target tissues.