Fresh fruit and vegetables remain metabolically active after harvest and are susceptible to chilling injury, senescence, and microbial decay, all of which can reduce quality and shorten their marketable life [1,2]. Building on the previous two editions of this Special Issue [3,4], the third edition brings together seven original research articles concerning fruit, leafy vegetables, and edible fungi. The contributions address molecular regulation, tissue and membrane changes, antioxidant responses, disease resistance, and preservation treatments. Together, they connect the biology of postharvest deterioration with ways to maintain the quality of perishable foods.
Two contributions examine mechanisms underlying chilling injury and textural deterioration. Liang et al. [contribution 1] found that melatonin treatment maintained higher expression of EjMYB15 in cold-stored loquat fruit. EjMYB15 bound to and activated the promoters of four antioxidant enzyme genes, supporting a role for antioxidant gene regulation in alleviating chilling injury. In shiitake mushrooms, Gao et al. [contribution 2] combined physiological measurements with transcriptome analysis and associated textural deterioration with changes in cell wall components, hydrolytic enzyme activities, and reactive oxygen species balance. Their analysis implicated laccase-related genes in a potential regulatory network for cell wall remodeling, although functional experiments are still needed to establish their roles. These studies identify molecular processes that may inform future approaches to quality maintenance.
Several studies evaluate exogenous compounds against different forms of quality loss. Shi et al. [contribution 3] found that glycine betaine treatment maintained firmness and reduced peel reddening in cold-stored ‘Hupingzao’ jujubes, alongside lower oxidative damage and greater antioxidant capacity. In button mushrooms, Xu et al. [contribution 4] reported that arginine delayed softening, with changes in lipid metabolism and membrane integrity associated with this effect. Chen et al. [contribution 5] showed that thyme essential oil delayed leaf yellowing and chlorophyll loss in Chinese flowering cabbage while helping to retain vitamin C and other quality attributes. The varied responses underline the need to select treatments according to the deterioration processes and quality requirements of each commodity.
Physical treatment offers another route to preserving quality. Chen et al. [contribution 6] evaluated electron beam irradiation of passion fruit and found that 0.2 kGy was the most effective of the tested doses. Treated fruit showed less weight loss and lower relative electrical conductivity, with a higher proportion remaining commercially acceptable during storage. Irradiation also limited superoxide production and membrane lipid peroxidation, slowed the loss of phospholipids and unsaturated fatty acids, and enhanced antioxidant capacity. These results associate improved storage quality with better maintenance of membrane lipid composition and redox balance; the dose-specific response also warrants attention when adapting the treatment to other commodities.
Postharvest disease resistance is a further concern. Inducing the defenses of harvested fruit is an established area of research for limiting pathogen development [5]. Zhu et al. [contribution 7] found that ethephon treatment reduced disease severity and pericarp browning in litchi fruit inoculated with Peronophythora litchii. Treated fruit produced more ethylene, showed higher activity of antioxidant and defense-related enzymes, and accumulated less hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde. These observations are consistent with stronger host defense and reduced oxidative damage contributing to disease suppression, while further work is needed to assess the treatment under commercial conditions.
Across the seven contributions, antioxidant balance, membrane integrity, and tissue structure recur as factors associated with postharvest quality; the litchi study additionally highlights host responses to infection. The intervention studies show that exogenous compounds and physical treatment can address distinct forms of deterioration. Priorities for future work include functional validation of proposed regulatory networks, optimization of treatment conditions, and evaluation during commercial storage and distribution. By linking biological responses to practical preservation approaches, this Special Issue provides a basis for more targeted strategies for fruit, vegetables, and edible fungi. I thank the contributing authors, reviewers, and the Foods Editorial Office for their efforts in bringing this Special Issue together.
Conflicts of Interest
The author declare no conflict of interest.
List of Contributions
- Liang, W.; Wan, J.; Lin, J.; Wu, Y.; Su, W.; Fan, Z. EjMYB15 Improves Cold Tolerance of Postharvest Loquat Fruit via Upregulating Antioxidant Enzyme Genes. Foods 2026, 15, 301. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15020301.
- Gao, Y.; Liang, Q.; Liu, Y.; Ma, T.; Hou, Z.; Zhu, H.; Huang, J. Transcriptome Analysis of Postharvest Lentinula edodes Cell Wall Metabolism During Storage Indicating a Laccase-Mediated Regulatory Network. Foods 2026, 15, 1039. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15061039.
- Shi, F.; Wu, J.; Geng, Z.; Xing, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Li, Z.; Wang, T.; Wang, Y. Glycine Betaine Treatment Maintains Postharvest Quality of Hupingzao Jujube Fruit by Enhancing the Antioxidant System. Foods 2025, 14, 3385. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14193385.
- Xu, D.; Gao, L.; Mu, X.; Wang, T.; Liang, J.; Wang, Q.; Niu, Q. Arginine Delays Postharvest Softening of Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) via Lipid Metabolism Regulation. Foods 2025, 14, 4359. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14244359.
- Chen, D.; Li, M.; Wu, W.; Wang, L.; Chen, Y.; Wu, F. Treatment with Thyme Essential Oil Delays Loss Reductions in Postharvest Chinese Flowering Cabbage. Foods 2025, 14, 3704. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14213704.
- Chen, Y.; Lin, Y.; Lin, M.; Jiang, X.; Chen, H. Electron Beam Irradiation Improves the Storage Quality of Passion Fruit by Modulating Membrane Lipid Composition and Enhancing ROS-Scavenging Potential. Foods 2026, 15, 2054. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15122054.
- Zhu, D.; Luo, T.; Guo, X.; Li, J.; Li, Q.; Chen, Y.; Ou, W.; Han, D.; Wu, Z. Ethephon Treatment Enhanced Postharvest Litchi Fruit Resistance to Peronophythora litchii by Strengthening Antioxidant Capacity and Defense Systems. Foods 2025, 14, 3493. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14203493.
References
- Dwibedi, V.; Kaur, G.; George, N.; Rana, P.; Ge, Y.; Sun, T. Research Progress in the Preservation and Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables: From Traditional Methods to Innovative Technologies. Food Packag. Shelf Life 2024, 46, 101385. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Li, R.; Rosado-Souza, L.; Sampathkumar, A.; Fernie, A.R. The Relationship between Cell Wall and Postharvest Physiological Deterioration of Fresh Produce. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 2024, 210, 108568. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Fan, Z. Recent Advances in Biological and Technological Research of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable. Foods 2024, 13, 2092. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Fan, Z. Recent Advances in Biological and Technological Research of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable: 2nd Edition. Foods 2025, 14, 3029. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Prusky, D.; Romanazzi, G. Induced Resistance in Fruit and Vegetables: A Host Physiological Response Limiting Postharvest Disease Development. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 2023, 61, 279–300. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2026 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.