Electron beam irradiation improves the storability of guava fruit by regulating cell wall polysaccharide metabolism

Abstract

Guava fruit is highly susceptible to rapid quality deterioration, including softening, nutrient loss, and decay during postharvest storage. Conventional preservation methods are often limited by chemical residues or insufficient efficacy. Electron beam irradiation (EBI) is a non-thermal physical processing technology with advantages of residue-free treatment, high controllability, and potential for industrial-scale application. This study investigated the effect of EBI on postharvest quality maintenance of guava fruit during storage. The results showed that between days 2 and 10 of storage, EBI inhibited respiration rate and weight loss in guavas, thereby helping to maintain nutrient contents and preserve the fruit’s commercial value. Notably, on day 10, EBI-treated guavas achieved a marketable rate of 73.33%, in sharp contrast to merely 31.11% in the control. Furthermore, EBI suppressed the expression of genes encoding cell wall-degrading enzymes, which in turn reduced these enzyme activities, thereby decelerating the degradation of cell wall polysaccharides, maintaining cell wall structural integrity, and ultimately alleviating the decline in fruit storability. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that EBI is a technically feasible and environmentally friendly technology for postharvest preservation of guava, offering strong potential for industrial-scale storage and commercial circulation.