biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 2012, 56:793-797 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0126-y

Role of antioxidative system during the development and senescence of cucumber fruit

C. -L. Qian¹, Y. -Y. Zhao², H. -B. Mi¹, X. -H. Chen¹, L. -J. Guo¹, L. -C. Mao^1,*

¹ College of Biosystem Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China

² College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, P.R. China

The oxidative processes and antioxidative system in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruit were determined during development and senescence. Four distinct developmental stages could be delineated during fruit maturation: immature (3-8 d after anthesis, DAA), mature (9-16 DAA), breaker (17-22 DAA), and yellow (35-40 DAA). The electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde content, superoxide anion production rate, and hydrogen peroxide content increased continuously during fruit development and senescence. Superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities consistently increased during fruit maturation, and the catalase activity displayed a single peak at the mature stage. Ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities declined during fruit development, but both were activated in yellow fruit. Monodehydroascorbate reductase activity declined and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) activity increased during fruit growth. DHAR was repressed in yellow fruit. Ascorbate dramatically accumulated and its redox state increased, whereas glutathione was degraded and its redox state declined, with fruit maturation.

Keywords: ascorbate; ascorbate peroxidase; catalase; glutathione; glutathione reductase; oxidative stress; peroxidase; redox state; superoxide dismutase

Subjects: senescence; fruit development; ascorbate; ascorbate peroxidase; catalase; glutathione reductase; glutathione; dehydroascorbate reductase; monodehydroascorbate reductase; malondialdehyde; peroxidases; superoxide dismutase; gene expression; electrolyte leakage; hydrogen peroxide

Species: Cucumis sativus

Received: September 18, 2011; Accepted: December 12, 2011; Published: December 1, 2012Show citation