- Title
- Inhibition of postharvest senescence of green leafy vegetables by exogenous D-cysteine and L-cysteine as precursors of hydrogen sulphide
- Creator
- Al Ubeed, H. M. S.; Wills, R. B. H.; Bowyer, M. C.; Golding, J. B.
- Relation
- Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology Vol. 94, Issue 5, p. 620-626
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2019.1591171
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2019
- Description
- Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) inhibits senescence in harvested fruit and vegetables but presents logistical, safety and regulatory issues to become a commercial treatment. D-cysteine and L-cysteine are semi-essential amino acids that are metabolised to hydrogen sulphide by plant tissues albeit by different pathways. This paper examines the effect of cysteine on postharvest senescence of three green leafy vegetables. Spraying pak choy leaves with 10 mmol D-cysteine, L-cysteine or DL-cysteine inhibited leaf senescence through a delayed loss of green colour expressed as market life, reduced respiration rate and reduced ethylene production. The beneficial effects of cysteine were similar to those achieved by fumigation with hydrogen sulphide. L-cysteine sprays on parsley and peppermint leaves also showed reduced leaf colour loss and respiration compared to untreated leaves. Cysteine, either as the racemate or individual enantiomers, is considered to have commercial potential for green leafy vegetables as it provides the beneficial effect of hydrogen sulphide but should be easier to register for commercial use due to the GRAS status of L-cysteine.
- Subject
- cysteine; hydrogen sulphide; postharvest senescence; pak choy; green vegetables
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1411616
- Identifier
- uon:36365
- Identifier
- ISSN:1462-0316
- Rights
- This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor and Francis in the Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology on 19/05/2019, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2019.1591171.
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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