Work

Multi-omics reveals mechanism of combined L-cysteine and GABA in loquat postharvest quality

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Loquat is highly susceptible to postharvest deterioration, including browning and lignification, which limits its storage life. This study investigated the effects of combined L-cysteine (L-Cys) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatment on postharvest quality maintenance of loquat fruit and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms through integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. Physiological assessments revealed that the combined treatment significantly delayed fruit softening, reduced weight loss and browning, suppressed decay incidence, and maintained higher levels of soluble solids, titratable acidity, and total phenolics. Integrated multi-omics analysis demonstrated that L-Cys+GABA treatment primarily modulated the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway, leading to suppressed lignin biosynthesis through coordinated downregulation of key biosynthetic genes (COMT, CCR, LAC) and reduced accumulation of corresponding metabolites. These findings reveal that L-Cys+GABA combined treatment delays postharvest senescence in loquat fruit by targeting the phenylpropanoid pathway to inhibit lignification, providing a physiological and molecular basis for its application as an effective preservation strategy.

Source: npj Science of Food

DOI: 10.1038/s41538-026-00940-2