Cold storage of fruits is the best strategy to extend shelf life. However, storage temperature below 8 degrees C mostly Cold s o g of fruits is the b st str teg to e tend sh lf life H e e , sto ge temp rat re belo 8 degrees C mo tl causes chilling injury (CI). Thus, exogenous melatonin treatment is an alternative safe preservative to alleviate CI and induce cold tolerance in postharvest of fruits and vegetables. This paper reviewed the recent progresses c s s hilling injury (CI) Thus e g no latoni teatment is lternati e s fe pr s r ati to all viate CI d i du ld t l ranc i po tha t f fuit d g t bl Thi p p v d th of melatonin-mediated physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms on chilling tolerance of fruits t of melatonin medi ted ph iolo i al b hemi al and mole l r mech nism o chilli g tol anc f f it and vegetables. Among cold tolerance mechanisms, melatonin substantially enhances enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants removing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Melatonin triggered phenol accumulation a d get ble Am ng c ld t le ance m chani ms melato in s b t nti ll enhance en ymatic d n n which associated with 2,2-diphenyl-1picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging capacity and reduction of oxidative en atic antio d nt r movin acti e xygen e i (ROS) Melat nin trig e ed phenol c m lation damage. In addition, melatonin extensvely maintained intracellular energy and enhanced energy regulaton hich as iated ith 22 di h nyl 1picryl hyd yl (DPPH) s avengi g capa it d red ction of oxidati associated enzymes, thereby maintaining cellular stability. Melatonin induces unsaturated/saturated fatty d g I dditi l t n t ively i t d i tr ll l y d h d gy g l ti n acid (unSFA/SFA) ratio, improving cellular fluidity. Besides, melatonin regulates arginine metabolisms via as ociated n e the by maint ining c ll lar s bility M l toni duces nsat ted/sat rated f tt increased polyamines, proline and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) contents. Furthermore, melatonin possibly id ( nSFA/SFA) rat o i pro ing cell lar fluidity B sid melat ni re lates gini met b isms ia encodes calcium-dependent protein knases (CDPK) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in reased pol a ines, p oli e and gamma i ob tyric id (GABA) cont nts Furth rmore latoni p ibly cascades. Moreover, it substantially induces Ca2+ signaling transduction pathways. As part of the signaling encodes lci m dependent p ote kinas s ( DPK) nd it cti t d t in k (MAPK) pathway, melatonin activates C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) as transcriptional factors for cold acclmation. c des M it b t ti lly i d C 2+ ig ali g tr d ti p th y A t f th ig li Therefore, this review concluded that exogenous melatonin improves chilling stress tolerance by coordinating p th a , m la nin a ti t s C repeat bindi g f tors (CBF ) s tra s i tional facto s for cold acclimati n The f e thi r ie c n l ded that e ogeno melat in i r es chilling st ess tole an e by c o di ati biochemical and molecular mechanisms at post-harvest life of fruits and vegetables and extending shelf life. al and mol cu m ch ms a posth life of fr d g abl a exte ng hel life (c) 2021 Beijing Academy of Food Science. Publishing services by Elsevir B.V. on behalf of KeAi (c) 2021 Beiji g A ademy f F od Scien e P bli hi g ice by El vi B.V. on behalf of K Ai Communication Co Ltd This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license Communications Co., Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license C C d open access article under the CC BY NC ND license (http //creativecommons org/licenses/by nc nd/4 0/) (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
