Variations in contents of browning substrates and activities of some related enzymes during litchi fruit development

Pericarp browning is a major factor to limit storage and transportation of postharvest litchi fruit. Experiments were conducted firstly to determine variations in contents of browning substrate (−)-epicatechin in pericarp tissues of litchi fruit during development. Changes in the activities of polyphenoloxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) in association with the synthesis or oxidation of (−)-epicatechin were also examined. (−)-Epicatechin content tended to decrease during fruit development. PAL activity had a high level at the initial stage of fruit development, then decreased rapidly, and finally increased slightly, which was in agreement with the variation in (−)-epicatechin content. The higher contents of total phenolics and (−)-epicatechin of fruit of ‘Nuomici’ than ‘Feizixiao’ were also related to the higher PAL activity. PPO had a similar change to PAL in activity, but POD activity slowly decreased at the early fruit development and then increased markedly. It is suggested that (−)-epicatechin content might be largely regulated by PAL activity. This study could help to understand the variations in the content of the browning substrate and the activities of some substrate-related enzymes of litchi fruit during development and then control better pericarp browning of harvested litchi fruit by the application of appropriate preharvest treatments.