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• 1% and 3% CO 2 pulsed controlled atmosphere can delay the loss of fruit water-core • There is the best effect of 1% CO 2 on maintaining the overall visual and sensory quality of fruit • The endurance of watercored apples to 5% CO 2 is less than 45 days • The internal browning of fruit is related to unstable membrane system and dense cell arrangement Watercored 'Fuji' apple with special water core and unique flavor is a characteristic fruit. However, the problems of water core disappearance and browning in the apples are outstanding during postharvest storage. In this study, pulsed controlled atmosphere (pCA) with CO 2 was used to protect the water-core and resist browning of apples. Effects of different concentrations of CO 2 on the quality of apple fruits was investigated, and CO 2 injury characteristic to apple fruits were studied as well. Results showed that pCA with CO 2 could effectively maintain the sensory and texture qualities of watercored apples. Treated with pulsed controlled CO 2 , the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation of the apples was effectively reduced and the membrane system was well maintained. Meanwhile, the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) of the apples were inhibited and the browning was reduced. On the whole, pCA with 1% CO 2 presented the most significant effects on the quality preservation of watercored apples while higher CO 2 showed negative effects on the quality of the samples. Under the condition of pCA with 5% CO 2 , the endurance of watercored apples was less than 45 days and the internal browning was serious. In conclusion, 2%～3% O 2 and pCA with 1% CO 2 was the best and most effective in the long-term preservation of watercored apples, and it is beneficial to guide for the preservation of apple fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combined 1-MCP and sterilizing medium is an effective preservation technology. • 1-MCP + O 3 treatment effectively delayed the softening and senescence of fruit. • 1-MCP + O 3 treatment could induce resistance of fruit at earlier shelf storage. • 1-MCP + O 3 could maintain brighter color attributes of peaches during shelf life. • At the end of storage, 1-MCP + O 3 maintained the best integrity of flesh tissue. Physiological senescence and quality deterioration of peach after harvest were the restrict factors of peach shelf quality. As an ethylene inhibitor, 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) can effectively dealy fruit ripening and senescence, and improve storage quality. However, studies showed that the effect of fruit preservation by only using 1-MCP is unsatisfactory. Therefore, in this study, 1-MCP combined with sterilizing medium including ozone, TiO 2 photocatalytic and epsilon-polylysine (ε-PL) was applied for enhancement of preservative ability with safety and pollution-free. The flow microcirculation was used for enhancing the effect of sterilizing medium. Results showed that all these three treatment methods can enhance the shelf quality of peach fruit. Among them, the combination treatment of 1-MCP and ozone played a more active role in inhibiting decay, respiration, ethylene production, decline of nutrients such as organic acids and soluble solids. Moreover, it maintained bright color value and cell integrity of peach fruit. In addition, the combined treatment of 1-MCP and ozone had significant effects on inducing resistance in fruit and slowing down membrane lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, 1-MCP combined with ozone was an effective method to delay the senescence and improve the storage shelf quality of fruit, which is beneficial to the guidance of production practice and has potential application prospects in fruit preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]