Effects of L-Phenylalanine Pretreatment on Reducing Frost Damage and Browning in Edible Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.

2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

10.22091/ijpb.2025.3607

Abstract

One of the challenges in storing edible mushrooms is the browning of the caps during storage. The use of edible compounds such as potassium can affect the shelf life of the fruit. In this study, the effects of pretreatment with exogenous L-phenylalanine at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 5, 7, and 10 mM during storage at 4°C for 15 days were investigated. Compared with the control treatment, the L-phenylalanine treatment delayed the browning of the mushroom caps. A concentration of 5 mM L-phenylalanine was selected for measuring physiological parameters and biochemical enzyme activities. Compared with the control treatment, the 5 mM potassium treatment improved the physiological weight loss, fruit firmness, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde content in the treated group. Additionally, potassium treatment increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and PAL while reducing polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, leading to increased ascorbic acid and total phenol contents compared with those in the control group. Overall, these findings suggest that the reduction in frost damage in edible mushrooms during low-temperature storage may be partially related to improvements in membrane systems and antioxidant systems, including antioxidant compounds and enzyme activities.

Keywords

Iranian journal of postharvest biology
Volume 1, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
September 2025
Pages 1-11

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