Exogenous nitric oxide treatment delays the senescence of postharvest mung bean sprouts by regulating ascorbic acid metabolism

Abstract

BACKGROUNDThis study evaluated the effects of nitric oxide (NO) treatment on ascorbic acid (AsA) metabolism and mung bean sprout quality. It examined changes in the AsA content, enzyme activity associated with AsA metabolism, antioxidant capacity, cell membrane composition, and cellular structure to clarify the effects of NO on mung bean sprouts.RESULTSNitric oxide treatment preserved mung bean sprout quality by enhancing significantly the activity of enzymes involved in the l‐galactose pathway (including guanosine diphosphate (GDP)glutathione (‐d‐mannose pyrophosphorylase, GDP‐mannose‐3′,5′‐epimerase, GDP‐l‐galactose phosphorylase, l‐galactose‐1‐phosphate phosphatase, l‐galactose dehydrogenase, and l‐galactose‐1,4‐lactone dehydrogenase) and the AsA‐glutathione (GSH)(Beijing Solarbio Science and Technology Co.,Ltd., Beijing, China) cycle (including ascorbate peroxidase, ascorbic acid oxidase, glutathione reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and monodehydroascorbate reductase) during the germination and storage stage. Increased enzyme activity led to an increase in AsA content and enhanced antioxidant capacity, and reduced the membrane lipid damage in mung bean sprouts. This was demonstrated by higher levels of DPPH radical scavenging capacity, unsaturated fatty acids and phospholipids, along with lower levels of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anions, and malondiadehyde, in NO‐treated mung bean sprouts. Scanning electron microscopy also revealed that NO treatment maintained the integrity of the cellular structure of the mung bean sprouts.CONCLUSIONNitric oxide accelerates AsA metabolism effectively by regulating the biosynthesis and regeneration of AsA in mung bean sprouts. These changes increased AsA levels, alleviated membrane lipid damage, delayed senescence, and maintained the quality of mung bean sprouts during storage. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.