Postharvest nicotinamide treatment modifies the redox status in highbush blueberry (Vaccinum corymbosum L.) fruit during storage

• Published in: Postharvest biology and technology Vol. 217; p. 113105
• Main Authors: Piechowiak, Tomasz, Grzelak-Błaszczyk, Katarzyna, Sójka, Michał, Antos, Piotr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.11.2024
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Berries; PARP; Polyphenols; ROS; DTT; HRP; PARP; WB; MTT; PPO; CHS; Antioxidants; BSA; Polyphenols; UHPLC; GSH; 8-OHdG; DPPH; Berries; MAPK-6; TBST; H2DCF-DA; SNRK-1; GS; PARP-1; SDS-PAGE; CAT; MnSOD; ROS; PAL; PES
• ISSN: 0925-5214; 1873-2356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2024.113105

Increased expression and activity of PARP family enzymes is associated with perturbations in the energy metabolism and redox status of the fruit after harvest. Because nicotinamide is a competitive inhibitor of PARP enzymes, in the present study we set out to check whether nicotinamide treatment of highbush blueberry fruit would affect PARP-1 expression, energy metabolism, and redox status in the fruit, and whether nicotinamide would protect the tissue from the pro-oxidative effects of UV-C radiation. For this purpose, the fruits of Vaccinum corymbosum L. cv. Duke, were treated with a 10 mM aqueous solution of nicotinamide and additionally co-treated with UV-C radiation, which were then stored for 7 d at 10 °C. We observed in the course of the study that nicotinamide clearly contributes to the reduction of oxidative stress in blueberry fruit. This was observed in the form of reduced PARP-1 expression in both UV-C irradiated and non-UV-C irradiated fruit. Reduced PARP-1 expression, in turn, inhibited NAD+ loss, which contributed to higher ATP availability and consequently less ROS accumulation in the tissue. Furthermore, nicotinamide treatment reduced the decline of low-molecular weight of antioxidants content in UV-C-irradiated fruit. •First application of nicotinamide in postharvest treatment of blueberry fruit.•Nicotinamide reduces PARP-1 protein expression in blueberries.•NAM abolishes oxidative stress by improving the energy metabolism in fruit.