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BACKGROUND: Among the challenges for postharvest researchers is that of understanding the physiological and biochemical pathways associated with postharvest fruit decay. Fruit senescence directly affects sensorial and nutritional quality during postharvest life. It has been clarified that reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage are responsible for fruit senescence. Some cultivars of yellow‐fleshed kiwifruit can be stored for a short period compared with green‐fleshed kiwifruit. Postharvest performance is affected by the physiological state of the fruit at harvest, associated with its postharvest management. Among several postharvest applications, ozone treatment is considered as a cost‐effective and eco‐friendly food‐processing technology to preserve the fruits' quality during cold storage. In this study, we investigated the influence of ozone, after gradual cooling treatment, on the antioxidant defense system in Actinidia chinensis, 'Soreli'. RESULTS: Bioactive compound content decreased during cold storage, and ozone treatment enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase during cold storage. This treatment preserved membrane integrity by inhibiting lipoxygenase activity and malondialdehyde accumulation. A multivariate statistical approach, using principal component analysis, provided the global response to the effect of ozone postharvest treatment during cold storage in kiwifruit 'Soreli'. CONCLUSION: Ozone treatment improves the efficiency of antioxidative system and storability of 'Soreli' kiwifruits. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Ozone has been used for improving the postharvest life of fruits and vegetables. Ozonation, an alternative decontamination method, can be applied effectively to perishable commodities immediately after harvest. Kiwifruit is a subtropical climacteric fruit that is less able to acclimate and is susceptible to low temperatures. In this study, we investigated the influence of ozone and different storage temperatures on the physico‐chemical and qualitative features in Actinidia chinensis 'Soreli'. The fruits were treated with a continuous flow of ozone in air (300 ppb), stored at 2 and 4 °C for 60 days, and sampled every 15 days. RESULTS: It was found that ozone treatment induced the ripening process; this was evident at the end of the storage, with higher soluble solids content for ozone‐treated fruits at 2 and 4 °C. Storage temperatures and gaseous ozone treatment influenced in a different manner the bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and carotenoids. Additionally, under gaseous ozone storage, microbial growth was delayed, improving the microbial quality index when the fruits were stored at the lowest storage temperature (2 °C). Principal component analysis highlighted that the effects of storage temperature on physico‐chemical and bioactive compounds were greater than the postharvest treatment. CONCLUSION: Storage temperature influenced the postharvest life of 'Soreli'. Storage at 2 °C and under 300 ppb gaseous ozone improved the yellow‐fleshed fruit storage life. However, storage at 4 °C under 300 ppb gaseous ozone did not show advantages in preserving the fruit quality. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]