The effect of ultraviolet-C on the senescence of bitter gourd fruit and the key factors analyzed by transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses

Tiantian Xiong; Faiz Ur Rahman; Xiangting Wang; Hao Gong; Xiaoming Zheng; Xiaoyang Zhu; Xiaoxi Liu

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142015

The effect of ultraviolet-C on the senescence of bitter gourd fruit and the key factors analyzed by transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses

Food Chem. 2024 Nov 14;465(Pt 2):142015. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142015. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Tiantian Xiong¹, Faiz Ur Rahman², Xiangting Wang², Hao Gong³, Xiaoming Zheng³, Xiaoyang Zhu⁴, Xiaoxi Liu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development/Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
² Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Engineering Research Center for Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China.
³ Guangdong Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
⁴ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Engineering Research Center for Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China. Electronic address: xiaoyang_zhu@scau.edu.cn.
⁵ Guangdong Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China. Electronic address: liuxiaoxi@gdaas.cn.

PMID: 39581081
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142015

Abstract

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) is a tropical and subtropical vegetable that is popular for its rich nutritional content. However, its immature fruit has a short shelf life and spoils easily. This study assessed the effects of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation on the storage and quality of postharvest bitter gourd fruit. Exposure for 40 s maintained fruit firmness, delayed senescence, increased the antioxidant capacity and minimized damage by reactive oxygen species. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses identified 12,733 differentially expressed genes and 282 metabolites during storage. The downregulation of genes for ethylene synthesis and cell wall degradation delayed ripening and senescence, while the upregulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes enhanced its antioxidant properties. Key transcription factors, such as MYB, bHLH, and bZIP, were implicated in the delayed senescence treatment. This research elucidates the mechanisms of prevention of bitter gourd with UV-C and offers insights into the genetic and metabolite candidates for enhanced strategies of postharvest preservation.

Keywords: Bitter gourd; Fruit quality; Metabolome; Postharvest senescence; RNA-seq; Ultraviolet-C treatment.