Effect of hot air treatment on postharvest mould decay in Chinese bayberry fruit and the possible mechanisms

The effect of hot air treatment (HAT) on reducing natural fungal decay and green mould decay caused by Leptographium abietinum on postharvest Chinese bayberry fruit and the possible mechanisms were investigated. Freshly harvested Chinese bayberry fruit were firstly pretreated with hot air at 36–60 °C for 1–3 h, and then stored at 20 °C for 3 d or at 1 °C for 12 d to investigate the optimum condition of hot air treatment (HAT) for inhibiting decay development. Results demonstrated that HAT at 48 °C for 3 h was the most effective in reducing natural decay without impairing quality. This treatment also enhanced the resistance of Chinese bayberry fruit against green mould rot caused by L. abietinum and reduced the severity of the disease. The activities of defense-related enzymes including chitinase, β-1, 3-glucanase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase were significantly enhanced by HAT. In addition, the in vitro experiment showed that HAT significantly inhibited spore germination, germ tube elongation and mycelial growth of L. abietinum. These results indicate that HAT can effectively reduce fruit decay possibly by directly inhibiting pathogen growth and indirectly inducing disease resistance.