Abstract: To improve the storage quality of postharvest blueberry and extend its shelf life, fresh blueberry fruits were sprayed with 3.0 g/L anthocyanin and stored at room temperature (20 ℃). Samples were taken every 4 days to measure their quality attributes, antioxidant enzyme activity, and gene expression. The results showed that anthocyanin treatment significantly delayed the softening of blueberry fruits, reduced the mass loss and water loss, and maintained the texture. Moreover, the treated fruits exhibited stronger resistance, with a 20% reduction in decay incidence and an over 2-fold extension of shelf life at room temperature. Further analysis revealed that anthocyanin treatment significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase by upregulating the expression of key genes and delayed the decrease in phenolic content, thereby enhancing the antioxidant capacity in postharvest blueberry fruits and reducing quality deterioration. Therefore, 3.0 g/L anthocyanin treatment has a significant preservation effect, is safe and friendly, and can be promoted as a preservation technology for fruits such as blueberry at room temperature.

Key words: blueberry; anthocyanin; antioxidant activity; storage quality