Effect of acibenzolar-S-methyl on energy metabolism and blue mould of Nanguo pear fruit

•Acibenzolar-S-methyl treatment decreased lesion development on pear fruit inoculated with T. roseum.•Higher energy level observed in acibenzolar-S-methyl-treated fruit.•Disease resistance of pear fruit was related to energy metabolism.

Cellular energy is closely related to fruit ripening, senescence, physiological disorder and disease resistance after harvest. Nanguo pear fruit were immersed in 100 mg L−1 Acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) for 10 min, then air-dried at ambient conditions and stored for 12 d at 20 °C to investigate the effect of ASM on the activity of enzymes involved in energy metabolism. The effect of ASM on lesion development of the pear fruit inoculated with Penicillium expansum was also investigated in this study. Same treament with distilled water was used as control. The results demonstrated that ASM dipping treatment significantly decreased lesion diameter on the pear fruit inoculated with P. expansum. ASM dipping treatment enhanced ATP content, energy charge, the activity of H+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, cytochrome C oxidase and succinic dehydrogenase in pear fruit. These results suggest that postharvest ASM treatment induced disease resistance in Nanguo pear fruit through mediating energy metabolism.