Abstract: Ethylene is a kind of plant ripening hormone, and has been widely used in postharvest fruit accelerating ripening. This paper reviewed the effect of ethylene on the storage quality of climacteric respiration and non-climacteric respiration fruits. Ethylene treatment could accelerate the de-greening and soften of two kinds of respiration fruit. Ethylene treatment could improve the taste, flavor and antioxidant activity in climacteric respiration fruit. However, ethylene almost has no effect on these qualities in non-climacteric respiration fruit. As a result, when non-climacteric respiration fruit use ethylene as an accelerating ripening treatment, it should be harvested when the edible quality getting to the commercial standard.