Effect of preharvest melatonin applications at dusk on quality and bioactive compounds content of early sweet cherries

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 104; no. 3; pp. 1583 - 1590
• Main Authors: Cortés‐Montaña, Daniel, Bernalte‐García, María Josefa, Palomino‐Vasco, Mónica, Serradilla, Manuel Joaquín, Velardo‐Micharet, Belén
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.02.2024; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: antioxidant activity; Antioxidants - chemistry; Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; Cherries; Cultivars; Economic impact; Food quality; Fruit - chemistry; fruit quality; Fruits; Hydroxycinnamic acid; Impact analysis; Melatonin; Melatonin - pharmacology; N‐acetyl‐5‐methoxytryptamine; phenolic compounds; preharvest; Prunus - chemistry; Prunus avium; Prunus avium L; Shelving; phenolic compounds; Prunus avium L; preharvest; antioxidant activity; fruit quality; N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.13040

BACKGROUND Early sweet cherries have a high economic impact on cherry growers but have poorer quality characteristics and shorter shelf‐life than late cherries. Melatonin has been proposed as a biostimulant that regulates plant and fruit growth and increases fruit quality and shelf‐life but, in general in fruit and vegetables, there is controversy about its effects. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the impact of exogenous preharvest melatonin applications at dusk on the quality and bioactive compounds of two early sweet cherry cultivars. RESULTS The M3 and M5 (3 × 10−4 and 5 × 10−4 mol L−1 melatonin, respectively) treatments effectively enhanced the endogenous melatonin and hydroxycinnamic acid concentration, enhancing the functional properties of the fruit. Additionally, the M5 treatment enhanced skin colour and consumer acceptance of ‘Samba’ cherries, while the M3 treatment improved cherry size in ‘Sandon Rose’. CONCLUSION Preharvest melatonin applications at dusk could be included in the scheduled preharvest treatments for early cherry cultivars in order to improve the quality and to stimulate the functionality of the fruit. However, further studies are needed to adjust the concentration depending on the cultivar and the objective pursued. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.