Vacuum infiltration of putrescine enhances bioactive compounds and maintains quality of blood orange during cold storage

•Putrescine caused a remarkable increasing of anthocyanin content.•Putrescine increased antioxidant activity and total phenolic content.•Putrescine alleviated fruit weight loss and chilling injury.•Putrescine treatment maintained fruit firmness.

The effects of putrescine (Put) treatment on anthocyanin concentrations and other bioactive compounds of two blood orange ('Moro' and 'Tarocco') cultivars during cold storage have been investigated. Put at 0, 1 and 2 mM were applied to fruit by vacuum infiltration at 26.665 kPa for 8 min and then stored at 5 °C, and 90% RH for 60 days, plus a simulated shelf life of 2 days at 20 °C. Put treatment maintained higher fruit firmness and reduced weight loss during storage. Anthocyanin, total phenolic content (TPC), ascorbic acid content, and antioxidant activity were also higher in treated fruit than the control during storage. pH and titratable acidity (TA) were highest in treated fruit, while soluble solids concentration (SSC) and SSC/TA ratios were highest in untreated fruit. Overall, the quality of blood oranges maintained by Put treatment during cold storage.