Abstract: The effects of hot air treatment on active oxygen metabolism and heat-shock protein (HSP) biosynthesis in harvested Chinese bayberry were investigated in this study. The fruit were pretreated with hot air at 48 ℃ for 3 h, then stored at (1 ± 1) ℃ for 12 d. Decay incidence, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and lipoxygenases (LOX), and the production of superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals as well as HSP level were determined at 2-day intervals during storage. Hot air treatment significantly delayed the decrease in the activities of SOD, CAT and APX and induced HSP biosynthesis, resulting in inhibition of the accumulation of superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals and the increase in LOX activity and alleviation of the oxidative damage to plasma membrane. These results suggest that the mechanism of delaying fruit senescence and inhibiting fruit decay by hot air treatment may be closely associated with maintenance of the balance between active oxygen metabolism and the induction of HSP biosynthesis.

Key words: Chinese bayberry, hot air, active oxygen, heat-shock protein, senescence, decay