Abstract:

Xinjiang apricot fruits (‘Saimaiti’ cultivar) were sprayed with 1.0 mmol/L salicylic acid at four growth periods:
setting, enlargement, color-turning and 48 h before picking. The post-harvest apricot fruits were stored at 4 ℃, 90%–95%
relative humidity (RH). The lesion diameter and the incidence of disease of apricot fruits inoculated with Alternaria
alternata, the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), CoA ligase (4-CL) and cinnamate-4hydroxylase (C4H)
and the contents of flavanoids, lignin and total phenolics in apricot fruits were measured regularly. The effect of salicylic acid on
phenylpropanoid metabolism in apricot fruits during storage period was studied. The results showed that the lesion diameter and
disease incidence of apricot fruits during storage were significantly inhibited by pre-harvest salicylic acid treatment. Besides, the
activities of PAL, C4H and 4-CL and the contents of flavonoids, lignin and total phenolics in apricot fruits were increased.

Key words: apricot fruits, salicylic acid, phenylpropanoid metabolism, postharvest diseases, induced resistance