Effects of postharvest putrescine treatment on extending shelf life and reducing mechanical damage in apricot

Apricots (Prunus armeniaca L. cv Mauricio) harvested at commercial ripening stage were treated with putrescine (1 mM), then mechanically damaged with a 25 N force and stored at 10 degreesC for 6 d. Putrescine treatment increased fruit firmness and reduced the bruising zones caused by the mechanical damage. Putrescine-treated fruits (both damaged and nondamaged) showed different physiological behavior than controls. Color change, weight loss, ethylene emission, and respiration rate were reduced in putrescine-treated fruits. The most remarkable effect of the mechanical damage was the significant increase in spermidine concentrations found after the compression in control apricots, which could be considered as a physiological marker of mechanical damage.