Abstract: This study aimed to solve the problem of quality deterioration in white lotus roots during storage. A nanocomposite antibacterial packaging was prepared to delay the senescence of white lotus roots. Samples were subjected to normal packaging (NP) or nanocomposite antibacterial packaging (AP) and then storage at 25 ℃ and 35% relative humidity after vacuuming. Every 4 days, malondialdehyde (MDA) and total phenol (TP) contents were determined and the expression of genes related to volatile compound metabolism was evaluated on the 20th day of storage. The effect of the nanocomposite antibacterial packaging on the flavor quality was analyzed by electronic nose and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that MDA and TP levels in AP samples were 0.865 4 mmol/g and 5.873 mg/100 g at the end of the storage process, respectively. The activity of SOD and CAT in AP samples was higher than in control samples, indicating that AP inhibited the senescence of white lotus roots. In addition, the nanocomposite antibacterial packaging could regulate the expression of genes related to the metabolism of volatile components in white lotus roots. This study confirmed that the nanocomposite antibacterial packaging could preserve the quality of white lotus roots by regulating the expression of volatile metabolism-related genes.

Key words: white lotus roots, nanocomposite antibacterial packaging, malondialdehyde, total phenolics, volatile components, gene expression