Pulsed light improved the shelf life of apricot (after simulated long-distance air transportation) by regulating cell wall metabolism

'Xiao bai' apricots taste excellent and are mainly produced in Northwest China. Apricots are very popular throughout China, so before sale, air transportation has become necessary. During transportation, mechanical vibration induces various physiological damages to the fruit. This is one of the main causes of the softening of apricots. The prevention and control of post-harvest transportation damage through non-thermal treatment is a promising physical preservation technology. In this study, the changes of cell wall characteristics of apricot stored under intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment was investigated before simulating transport vibrations. The IPL treatment improved the quality of apricots, reduced the content of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide, significantly inhibited the activity of cell wall modifying enzymes, delayed the dissolution of water-soluble pectin and the degradation of cellulose, and inhibited the migration and change of water. Transmission electron mi-croscopy imaging showed that the IPL treatment helped preserve cell wall structure, which was uniform and complete with high electron density. These results showed that IPL treatment inhibited the mechanical damage and adverse physiological changes to apricots subjected to vibration and prolonged their shelf life.