Post-harvest physiology and aging of cut flowers
The review paper discusses the problems ofpostharvest physiology associated with maintaining the quality of floriculture products. Petals are an excellent model system for studying the aging process and programmed death of plant cells. The authors outline achievements of molecular biology and epigenetics in studying the regulation mechanisms of aging and cell death, and state their role in the loss of the decorative qualities of flowers. The study of water metabolism, the activity of antioxidant systems, and the stability of cell membranes has shown that their changes begin in the early stages of flower development and precede visible signs of the loss of decorative qualities. Common features and differences in the aging dynamics of leaves and petals are noted. Maintaining the water status of leafy shoots is an important factor in maintaining the quality of flower products. Using the inhibitory method (STS, 1-MCP) the authors have shown that ethylene is a trigger of the aging process only in a limited range of plants. Many modern hybrids of garden cloves that are typically considered ethylene sensitive are not sensitive to ethylene. In alstroemeria, lilies, and freesia, ethylene is involved only in the final stage offlower aging and petal fall. The threshold value of the activity of hydrolytic enzymes that ensure the mobilization of proteins and lipids can be a leading factor in starting the aging mechanisms. Ethylene only increases the efficiency of using nutrients to form seeds and fruits. Research based on physiological, biochemical, and genetic approaches should provide a clearer picture of aging and its regulation. Studyig the role of ROS and antioxidant systems can be quite promising for assessing the common and different signaling pathways in different parts of a plant. 5-sulfosalicylic acid, which increases the activity of antioxidant systems, can gain its rightful place in a series ofproducts to slow down the aging of cut flowers, especially in ethylene-insensitive species.