Effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on rachis quality of ‘Red Globe’ table grape variety

• MAP was able to reduce rachis browning of Red Globe after 90 days at 0 °C.
• MAP caused the accumulation of pheophytin resulting in a rachis with green color.
• MAP changed mRNA amount of chlorophyll breakdown pathway genes.

Rachis browning corresponds to a postharvest disorder that drastically reduces overall table grape quality. This problem has been associated mainly to water loss, but the possibility of having other factors involved like green pigment degradation and brownish compound synthesis that mask the green tissue is also feasible. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is a technology used to extend table grape postharvest life, including rachis appearance. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects caused by MAP on rachis browning during cold storage of ‘Red Globe’ table grape variety. MAP helped to reduce the green color loss on rachises stored for 90 days of storage at 0 °C compared with a conventional storage (CS) even after a shelf life period, without to affect negatively the quality of the berries. Interestingly, MAP storage decreased the content of chlorophyll-a and increased the amount of pheophytin-a, a chlorophyll degradation product, compared to CS both after cold storage period and shelf life. Additionally, the expression of genes involved in the chlorophyll breakdown pathway was analyzed by qPCR. We found that MAP induced an increase in the transcript abundance of metal-chelating substance (MCS) and Red Chlorophyll Catabolite Reductase (RCCR) genes. However, Pheophytinase (PPH) and Pheophorbide-a Oxigenase (PaO) transcript accumulation revealed no changes compared with CS. Apparently, MAP generated a modification in the chlorophyll breakdown process allowing an accumulation of green like compounds responsible for the greener color of rachises in the MAP stored bunches. On the other hand, histological analysis reveals that after cold storage and shelf life, morphological changes and brown compounds accumulation take place at the periderm and cortex tissues, and these symptoms are less severe in MAP stored bunches helping to keep longer the green coloration of the rachises. In this study we observed that MAP storage increases rachis postharvest quality by reducing green color loss probably due to a combination of processes involving a delay of green pigments degradation and a less accumulation of brown compounds at the periderm and cortex tissues, thus preventing green pigments masking.