Efeitos da luz pulsada sobre o metabolismo de vitamina c e compostos fenólicos em acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC)

Abstract

PL irradiation at low doses has been used to preserve nutraceutical value of the tropical fruits, highly perishable, by enhancing antioxidant systems during postharvest storage. However, the PL mediated mechanism inducing the antioxidant systems remains unknown. Here we investigated the effects of PL on degradation of vitamin C and phenolic compounds in acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC) during postharvest storage to elucidate the mechanism inducing the antioxidant systems. The fruits, stored at 10 °C for 7 days after a hormetic PL irradiation (two pulses of 0.3 J.cm2), showed significantly less degradation of vitamin C and phenolic compounds than the control without the PL challenge. The treatment activated the L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.2.3), a key enzyme for vitamin C biosynthesis, and changed composition of phenolic compounds, through new phenolic biosynthesis, in acerola during postharvest storage. It also induced ROS productions at the early (0 day) and late (7 days) times during postharvest storage through the mitochondrial electron transport chain and the NADPH oxidase (EC 1.6.99.6), respectively. These prove that the PL protects vitamin C and phenolic compounds from degradation in acerola by altering ascorbic acid and phenolic metabolism through a ROS-mediated mechanism. Altogether, our data first showed the beneficial effects of PL on maintenance of nutraceutical quality in acerola during postharvest storage and supplied new insights into understanding of mechanism by which PL irradiation enhance the antioxidant system in fruits.