Effects of Ethanol Fumigation on Preservation of Sweet Cherry

In this study,inhibition effects of ethanol(0,250,500 and 1000 μL/L)on Botrytis cinerea(isolated from decayed sweet cherries)were performed in vivo and in vitro. At the same time,the quality of fresh sweet cherries fumigated with ethanol was analyzed during storage at 4℃. The results showed that ethanol fumigation effectively reduced the decay incidence by Botrytis cinerea,inhibited the spore germination,and the higher the ethanol concentration,the more obvious the inhibition effect. Ethanol fumigation reduced the weight loss and decay rate,maintained higher hardness and titratable acid content. It reduced PPO activity,increased POD activity and delayed POD activity peak. These results showed that ethanol fumigation had a significant inhibitory effect on the postharvest decay of sweet cherries. 500 μL/L ethanol fumigation can effectively maintain the storage quality of sweet cherries,delay the ripening and aging during storage.