Nitric Oxide Applications for Quality Enhancement of Horticulture Produce

摘要

Recent advances in understanding physiological and biochemical roles of nitric oxide (NO) revealed that it has highly fascinating and multifaceted effects. Among these, judicial regulations of NO in different horticultureproduce have enormous applications. Emerging evidences established that NO is a signaling molecule that interacts with other hormones and growth regulators, thereby contributing to the alleviation of senescence and improvement of quality in plant tissuesand organs, which enhance the shelf life of harvested plant materials such as fruits, vegetables, foliage, tubers, and cut flowers. The inherent property of NO in countering the formation of ethylene by modulation of gene expressions, enzymes, and proteins contributes to the improved texture, color, and other sensorial attributes, rendering not only the extended storage but also the commercial edge by benefiting producers and providing nutritional advantage to consumers. While describing the normal andspecial mechanisms of actions of NO at biochemical and molecular levels and comprehensively integrating the cross talks among different pathways, this chapter provides details of each regulatory pathway that confers quality to horticultural produce.