Cold Air Pre-Cooling Extends Postharvest Shelf Life of Volvariella volvacea by Maintaining Energy Metabolism Homeostasis

TL;DR

Cold air pre-cooling helps preserve the quality of Volvariella volvacea mushrooms by maintaining energy metabolism, extending their shelf life.

Contribution

The study reveals how cold air pre-cooling preserves mushrooms by stabilizing energy metabolism and reducing browning and weight loss.

Findings

Cold air pre-cooling reduced weight loss, browning, and malondialdehyde accumulation in mushrooms.

CAP preserved mitochondrial function and ATP levels by modulating TCA cycle and respiratory complex activities.

Transcriptomic analysis confirmed downregulation of TCA and oxidative phosphorylation pathways after CAP treatment.

Abstract

This study investigated the preservative effect and molecular mechanism of cold-air pre-cooling (CAP) combined with storage at 15 °C/85% relative humidity on Volvariella volvacea. CAP significantly reduced weight loss and browning, maintained moderate respiratory intensity, minimised malondialdehyde accumulation and polyphenol oxidase activity, and preserved higher firmness and soluble-protein content, extending the shelf life by 4 d. An analysis of energy metabolism indices revealed that CAP increased mitochondrial quantity, membrane potential, and ATP content. Specifically, CAP restricted the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle rate by downregulating the activities of succinate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and citrate synthase. Additionally, CAP prevented the peak activation of respiratory complex I, while sustaining optimal activity of complexes III and IV, thereby stabilising intracellular ATP levels. Transcriptomic analysis further indicated that CAP suppressed the activity of the TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation pathways during postharvest storage. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) validated the downregulation of genes associated with respiratory complexes after CAP treatment. In conclusion, CAP maintained the postharvest quality of V. volvacea by preserving energy metabolism homeostasis, providing a theoretical basis for its application in edible mushroom preservation.

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