| Research Abstract |
It is known that allylisothiocyanate (AITC) exserts suppressive and inhibitory effects on ethylene action. The present study was designed to examine its effects further using mandarin fruits, tomato, and sweet pea flower, to elucidate the mechanism for AITC-exserted effects on ethylene action and accordingly to apply the theory to the technique for freshness retention and quality preservation.
In mandarin fruit treated with AITC,respiration rate increased and AITC inhibited the ethylene-enhanced chlorophyll degradation. Hunter's color index, (L+b) /2+a, an indicator of degreening, correlated positively with chlorophyllase activity, not with chlorophyllide a peroxidase. AITC-exerted effects appeared similar to those of anaethesia.
In tomato vegetable treated with AITC,AITC blocked color development and softening of treated tomato. Its inhibitory effects were prominent in tomato treated with AITC at the concentration of 5 mu 1/1 for 50 min. AITC-induced inhibition of epinasty in tomato cotyledon was non-competitive inhibition. Treated with AITC for 5 min prior to ethylene treatment, the cotyledon never demonstrated ethylene-induced epinasty. However epinasty occurred in cotyledon treated with ethylene for 6 hr prior to AITC treatment.
AITC treatment was not effective to prevent deterioration of cut flower (Chrysanthemum molifolium Ramat.) that is hardly deteriorated by ethylene treatment. On the other hand, sweet pea flower, whose deterioration is induced by ethylene treatment, was not kept fresh but color receding suppressed by AITC treatment. The results taken together, AITC,if only used together with STS,is considered to be effective to preserve quality and freshness of plants such as flowers, vegetables and fruits. AITC-exerted inhibitory effects on seismonasty was examined in AITC-treated Mimosa pudica L., Results indicated that AITC action in Mimosa pudica L.was reversible like anaethetic, as was observed in AITC-treated fruits and vegetables.
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