Quality deterioration of cut carnation flowers involves in antioxidant systems and energy status

•Exogenous ATP treatment maintained visible quality, extended vase life, reduced ethylene production rate and maintained membrane integrity.•Exogenous ATP supply reduced activities of membrane-hydrolyzed enzymes, enhanced ability of antioxidant enzymes and increased energy level at the later stage of vase life.•In contrast, exogenous application of 2,4-dinitrophenol had deleterious effect of the vase life of cut carnation flower.•Quality deterioration of cut carnation flowers during vase life involves in reduced antioxidant ability and decreased energy status.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has played an important role in regulating senescence of horticultural crops. The physiological mechanism of exogenous ATP to affect the senescence of cut carnation during vase life was investigated. Fresh cut carnation flowers were treated with distilled water (control), 0.1 mM adenosine triphosphate (ATP) or 0.5 mM 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP, an agent for uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation) and then held at 25 °C up to nine days. Exogenous ATP supply increased flower size, maintained fresh weight, extended vase life, reduced ethylene production rate and maintained membrane integrity. ATP treatment also reduced activities of phospholipase D (LD) and lipoxygenase (LOX), enhanced activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and increased endogenous contents of ATP and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and energy charge level at the later vase life. In comparison to control, exogenous application of DNP accelerated ethylene production and reduced vase life, increased membrane permeability, MDA content and activities of PLD and LOX and reduced activities of SOD and CAT. Furthermore, contents of ATP and ADP and energy charge level decreased in the DNP-treated flowers during vase life. Thus, exogenous ATP supply could maintain membrane integrity, increase antioxidant system and improve endogenous energy level, thereby suppressing ethylene production and retarding the senescence of cut carnation flower during vase life.