Abstract:

This study aimed to reveal the mechanism by which yeast saccharide reduces chilling injury of cherry tomato
and to examine the effect of nitrite oxide (NO) induced by yeast saccharide N’-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester hydrochloride
(L-NAME) on cold resistance. Cherry tomato samples were soaked in distilled water, 0.5 g/L yeast saccharide (YS), 0.5 g/L
YS + 0.5 mmol/L MB-1, 0.5 g/L YS + 0.5 mmol/L L-NAME and 0.5 g/L YS + 0.5 mmol/L L-NAME + 0.1 mmol/L sodium
nitroprusside (SNP) for 20 min, respectively before being packaged in polyethylene plastic bags (unsealed) and stored
at (2 ± 1) ℃ and relative humidity (RH) of 85%?95%. The results showed that yeast saccharide treatment was effective
in restraining chilling injury, slowing down membrane lipid peroxidation and the decline of quality indexes. Induction
of endogenous NO accumulation and increased activities of antioxidant enzymes may be the main mechanism of cold
resistance. At the same time, the effect of NO induced by yeast saccharide on cold resistance in cherry tomato was further
confirmed by the use of NO scavenger and nitricoxide synthase inhibitor.

Key words: cherry tomato, yeast saccharide treatment, nitric oxide, chilling injury, antioxidant enzymes