Control of anthracnose rot and quality deterioration in loquat fruit with methyl jasmonate

BACKGROUND: Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) fruit has a short shelf-life, mainly due to fungal decay. Current control of postharvest disease of the fruit is mainly dependent on fungicides. However, because of the increasing consumer concern over food safety, there is an urgent need to search for effective alternatives to control disease. The objective of this work was to determine the efficacy of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in controlling anthracnose rot caused by Colletotrichum acutatum and maintaining quality of loquat fruit. RESULTS: Loquat fruit were treated with 10 mu mol L-1 MeJA and wound inoculated with C. acutatum spore suspension of 1.0 x 10(5) spores mL(-1) 24 h after treatment, and then stored at 20 degrees C for 6 days. The percentage of infected wounds showing decay symptom was reduced from 54.4% to 16.7% and the lesion diameter was reduced from 7.26 mm to 4.00 mm by MeJA treatment on the 4th day after inoculation. MeJA treatment induced higher activities of two defense-related enzymes - chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase - during 6 days storage. Meanwhile, the treatment inhibited increases in fruit firmness and internal browning index, and maintained higher extractable juice rate and total soluble solids and titratable acidity contents, thereby delaying the development of flesh leatheriness. CONCLUSION: MeJA treatment effectively inhibited anthracnose rot and maintained quality in loquat fruit. Inhibition of the disease was mainly because of resistance induced in loquat fruit by MeJA. A postharvest application of MeJA could be an alternative to chemical fungicides for control of postharvest disease in loquat fruit. (c) 2008 Society of Chemical Industry.