Vitexin is a potential postharvest treatment for ameliorating litchi fruit pericarp browning by regulating autophagy

Pericarp browning is a vital factor limiting postharvest life of litchi fruit. The influence of vitexin on pericarp browning as well as the related mechanisms in litchi fruit were investigated. Results demonstrated that 1 mM vitexin ameliorated pericarp browning when litchi fruit were stored at 25 °C. Meanwhile, vitexin blocked reactive oxygen species (ROS) production but increased the glutathione peroxidase activity, thereby playing a protective role in oxidative injury. Additionally, vitexin attenuated ATP content decline in relation to regulation of LcSnRK1 as well as LcbZIP1/3 expressions. Furthermore, vitexin regulated expression levels of autophagy-related genes. Finally, LcbZIP3 activated the expressions of LcATG2 and Lcbeclin-1-like protein based on dual-luciferase report (DLR) assay. This is the first report that confers vitexin-meditated protective role in delaying litchi pericarp browning that could be linked to its effects on autophagy particularly regulated via LcSnRK1a–LcbZIP1/3 signaling pathway. Vitexin treatment might be an effective approach to control postharvest senescence of fruit during storage.