Postharvest Enhancement of Phenolic Phytochemicals in Apples for Preservation and Health Benefits - Postharvest Biology and Technology of Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers - page 354

Harvested

Elicitors AO

Active
coating

AO

Elicitors

Increased
phenolic
content
+
Longer
Shelf life

Extended
shelf life

Consumer

Consumer

Model of antioxidant films and coatings.

Fig. 16.8

preservation (antioxidants and antimicrobials) and health benefits, but could also be used
as exogenous elicitors of endogenous phenolics of fruits and vegetables that are targeted
for preservation. Using this approach, the health-promoting functional phytochemicals of
the preserved fruits and vegetables can be enhanced. There is evidence that exogenous
phenolics can elicit endogenous phenolics in plant sprout systems (McCue et al., 2000;
Randhir and Shetty, 2003; Shetty and Wahlqvist, 2004) and in clonal shoot cultures in re-
sponse the polyaromatic hydrocarbons (Zheng et al., 1998, 2001; Zheng and Shetty, 2000).
Further, empirical evidence implies that the endogenous natural phenolic biosynthesis in
response to exogenous phenolics (synthetic or natural) could be regulated through an al-
ternative proline-linked pentose phosphate pathway (Shetty and McCue, 2003; Shetty and
Wahlqvist, 2004; Fig. 16.6). Therefore, it is our goal to use dietary phenolic phytochem-
icals from food-grade plants as components of film additives to (1) act as preservatives
and enhance health property and (2) use a more innovative strategy to use same phenolic
phytochemicals as exogenous elicitors to enhance endogenous health-relevant phenolics of
the preserved fruits and vegetables through the proposed proline-linked pentose phosphate
pathway (Shetty and McCue, 2003; Shetty, 2004; Shetty and Wahlqvist, 2004; Fig. 16.8).

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