Improving the post-harvest shelf-life of Abelmoschus esculentus L. using NOP-1 Octapeptide

Increasing the post-harvest shelf life of rapidly perishable vegetables is a daunting task. In the case of Abelmoschus esculentus L, pod hardening and browning of the pod ridges reduces its commercial value and nutritional worth. Different methods like, use of ethylene inhibitors like 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), 1-Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG); salt solutions like 1% and 2% calcium chloride (CaCl2) and application of synthetic peptide inhibitors are adopted to enhance the shelf life of rapidly perishable fruits, vegetables and flowers. This study aims to find out the efficacy of exogenous surface application of synthetically derived octapeptide NOP-1 (LKRYKRRL-NH2) treatment at concentration of 1000μM for retarding the rapid over-ripening in A. esculentus L. The A. esculentus L. pods were stored under two conditions, at ambient room temperature & at cold storage for stipulated duration. The total flavonoid, phenolic and anti-oxidant contents were investigated. It was observed that NOP-1 peptide treatment helped to maintain the quality of the pods under both ambient and cold temperatures up-to 8 days. Anti-senescence plant derived peptide (NOP-1) adopted for study was noticed to improve the storage stability in terms of maintaining the phytochemical compositions of A. esculentus L. pods. The possible mechanism could be the binding of NOP-1 peptide to the ethylene receptor (ETR-1) thus reducing ethylene perception and subsequently ethylene induced ripening. The concept is new and can be safely explored for FSSAI food regulations standards. The success of this study will give higher commercial value and prolonged shelf life for short shelf-life vegetables like Abelmoschus esculentus L.