About this Research Topic

Background

Fruit can be recognized as an important issue in the daily diet. Compared to other plant organs, agronomic fruits possess active metabolic processes that last during the ripening and postharvest stages. In detail, fruit ripening is a crucial physiological process for plants, since it represents the terminal stage of development and leads to metabolic changes in the biochemistry, physiology, and gene expression of the fruit, such as starch conversion and sensory improvement, secondary or functional metabolite biosynthesis, cell wall modifications and pulp softening, and flavor and volatile aromatic production. After harvest, the high metabolic activity makes most fruits highly perishable commodities, thus commonly causing quick deterioration and a short shelf life or storage period. Thus, understanding or modifying the biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology of ripening or postharvest organs that are developmentally altered to affect the overall quality is a crucial objective in rendering fruit attractive.

The ripening process or postharvest stage in fruits has been well-documented in both climacteric and non-climacteric fruit. Currently, genetic studies based on ‘omics’ or molecular technologies have determined a few regulatory node genes/proteins acting in ripening and postharvest development or responding to various stresses in fruits. Meanwhile, well-known samples of tomato, grape, citrus, and peach have identified the multiple functions of specific metabolic pathways, such as the phenylpropanoid pathway, AsA-GSH cycle, and pentose phosphate pathway, in fruit ripening, physiological senescence, or innate defensive response. Accordingly, a deeper understanding of the molecular or metabolic mechanisms and their potential applications in the improvement of fruit qualities and functional properties will be crucial issues in fruit plantation or preservation.

Thus, this research topic aims to expand our understanding of the regulation of fruit primary/secondary metabolism and biosynthesis of bioactive compounds during ripening or postharvest storage at the molecular level.

We welcome the submission of high-quality Original Research Articles, Reviews, Mini-reviews, Opinions, Perspectives, and Methods on the following topics but not limited to:
1) Physiological, molecular and genetic profiles in agronomic fruits during ripening or postharvest storage.
2) Nodes or key regulators in metabolic pathways complicated in the modification of fruit quality and bioactive compounds biosynthesis in agronomic fruits.
3) Pre- or postharvest elicitation on genetic and physiological alterations during ripening or postharvest storage.
4) Physiological, biological, and genetic technologies for improving fruit quality in agronomic fruits.

Keywords: fruit, ripening, postharvest, quality, softening

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