Abstract: Cherry tomatoes are popular among consumers because of their bright color and well-balanced sweet and sour taste. However, cherry tomatoes are easy to rot and deteriorate after harvest, and pathogenic bacteria on their surfaces are detrimental to the health of consumers when eaten raw. In this study, we studied the effects of high voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) treatment on the physiological quality and metabolism of ‘Huangfei’ cherry tomatoes by measuring fruit surface bacteria, decay rate and physiological indexes as well as conducting metabonomic analysis. The results showed that HVEF treatment could significantly reduce the total number of Escherichia coli colonies on the fruit surface (P < 0.05) and delay fruit decay during storage, while having no effect on respiration rate or mass loss rate. In addition, it inhibited ethylene release at the early storage stage. The results of metabonomic analysis showed that differential metabolites were identified between the HVEF treatment and control groups, and there were a variety of up-regulation and down-regulation patterns. Particularly, the contents of some flavonoids and alkaloids increased after the treatment. In summary, HVEF treatment could reduce the decay incidence and surface pathogenic bacteria of postharvest cherry tomato fruit and improve its quality.

Key words: high voltage electrostatic field; cherry tomato; decay rate; sterilization; Escherichia coli; physiological indexes; metabonomic analysis