Salicylic Acid and Its Derivatives: Effective Preservation Methods for Fruits and Vegetables?-?A Comprehensive Review

Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of essential nutrients and delicious flavors. However, their quality can deteriorate over time, leading to economic losses, if they?re not properly stored and preserved. Researchers have been exploring the potential of various plant hormones, such as salicylic acid (SA), acetylsalicylate (ASA), and methyl salicylate (MeSA), to improve the postharvest quality of these horticultural crops. Studies have shown that SA and its derivatives, including ASA and MeSA, can delay fruit ripening and softening, reduce decay, and preserve the fruit?s flavor, thereby extending the shelf life of horticultural crops. Additionally, SA can protect plants from environmental stressors, while ASA is a cost-effective alternative that can be converted to SA spontaneously. Meanwhile, MeSA, an odorous volatile compound, can stimulate plant defense responses. Furthermore, SA and its derivatives have been proven to be safe for use on fruits, making them a viable alternative to synthetic chemical preservatives that may be harmful. Despite their proven effectiveness, the mechanism by which SA and its derivatives enhance fruit quality and the optimal treatment method for commercial applications remain unclear. This paper, published in Scientia Horticulturae, seeks to address these gaps in knowledge by comparing the differences between preharvest and postharvest application methods of exogenous SA and its derivatives, analyzing their effects on fruit storage quality, and clarifying the mechanism of postharvest physiological processes. The paper is divided into six sections covering the treatment methods of SA and its derivatives, their application in fruit quality, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of fruit, biotic and abiotic stresses, combined treatments, and future prospects. Several key findings have emerged from this comprehensive review: SA and its derivatives have been shown to be effective in improving the postharvest physiological processes of fruits, including reducing ethylene production and respiration rate, suppressing fruit softening and color change, and maintaining the sugars, organic acids, and aroma of the fruit. Preharvest spraying was found to be the optimal method for applying SA and its derivatives due to their rapid absorption efficiency of salicylates and the shorter postharvest handling time required. Applications of SA and its derivatives can help inhibit chilling injury, promote pathogen resistance, and activate the antioxidant system, all of which contribute to improving the storage quality of fruits. This review?s comparison of treatment methods and physiological analyses can provide valuable insights into the practical application of SA and its derivatives in preserving fruits and vegetables. Overall, this research highlights the potential benefits of using SA and its derivatives in postharvest preservation methods and provides a foundation for further exploration and refinement of these techniques in the future. Source: Chen, C., Sun, C., Wang, Y., Gong, H., Zhang, A., Yang, Y., Guo, F., Cui, K., Fan, X., & Li, X. (2023). The preharvest and postharvest application of salicylic acid and its derivatives on storage of fruit and vegetables: A review. Scientia Horticulturae, 312, 111858. Author:?Jorge Luis?Alonso G. (with ChatGPT)?Maximizing Agribusiness Profits with Expert Postharvest Storage Strategies | Horticultural Writing Specialist.?This article was written exclusively for the business platform Postharvest. Image by?Welcome to all and thank you for your visit ! ??from?Pixabay? ?