Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
ASPHC Baner

ONLINE FIRST

Research paper

Physiological responses of green beans to postharvest salicylic acid treatments under cold storage conditions

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/asphc.2026.5647
Submitted: 16 December 2025
Published: 28.05.2026

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of different salicylic acid (SA) concentrations (0.5, 1, and 2 mM) on the postharvest quality of green beans during cold storage (4 ±1 °C). Physiological parameters (respiration rate, electrolyte leakage, weight loss, and cutting resistance), biochemical traits (total soluble solids, TSS), and colorimetric properties (L*, h°, C*, and browning index) were assessed to determine treatment efficacy. Multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA), correlation analysis, and hierarchical heatmap clustering, were applied to characterize multidimensional treatment responses. Salicylic acid exhibited dose-dependent and parameter-specific effects. The 0.5 mM SA treatment improved visual quality by maintaining higher chroma values and a more stable hue angle, while also enhancing cutting resistance. The 1 mM dose increased respiration rate and electrolyte leakage, indicating elevated metabolic activity and membrane stress. In contrast, 2 mM SA provided a more balanced preservation of overall quality by reducing weight loss and maintaining moderate color stability. Regardless of treatment, storage duration significantly affected color parameters (L*, h°, and browning index), reflecting natural chlorophyll degradation and senescence processes. PCA revealed that PC1 (43.0% of total variance) was primarily associated with visual quality attributes (L*, C*, TSS, and browning index), PC2 (19.9%) with stress-related variables (respiration rate and electrolyte leakage), and PC3 (12.1%) with cutting resistance. Heatmap clustering and correlation analysis supported these relationships by grouping color and biochemical attributes separately from stress indicators. Overall, the results demonstrate that SA dose optimization is critical for maintaining postharvest quality of green beans under cold storage conditions. These findings highlight the usefulness of multivariate approaches in integrating physiological and visual quality attributes and support the practical application of optimized salicylic acid doses for extending the postharvest life of green beans.

References

  1. Brigide, P., Canniatt-Brazaca, S.G., Silva, M.O. (2014). Nutritional characteristics of biofortified common beans. Food Sci. Tech., 34, 493–500. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-457x.6245
  2. Brito, C., Dinis, L.T., Meijón, M. et al. (2018). Salicylic acid modulates olive tree physiological and growth responses to drought and rewatering events in a dose dependent manner. J. Plant Physiol., 230, 21–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2018.08.004
  3. Ding, Y., Sheng, J., Li, S. et al. (2015). The role of gibberellins in the mitigation of chilling injury in cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit. Postharvest Biol. Technol., 101, 88–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2014.12.001
  4. Elbagoury, M.M., Turoop, L., Runo, S. et al. (2022). Postharvest treatments of banana (Musa acuminata cv. ‘Grand Nain’, AAA) during cold and ripening temperatures with chitosan and chitosan nanoparticles to alleviate chilling injury and maintain antioxidant activity. Hortic. Environ Biotechnol, 63(5), 677–699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13580-022-00436-4
  5. El-Beltagi, H.S., Ali, M.R., Ramadan, K.M. et al. (2022). Exogenous postharvest application of calcium chloride and salicylic acid to maintain the quality of broccoli florets. Plants, 11(11), 1513. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11111513
  6. El-Beltagia, H.S., El-Nady, M.F., El-Mogy, M.M. et al. (2025). Foliar application of zinc oxide nanoparticles and salicylic acid enhances drought tolerance in tomato by improving antioxidant defence, nutrient uptake, and anatomical features. Russ. J. Plant Physiol., 72(6), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1021443725603878
  7. El-Mogy, M.M., Kitinoja, L. (2019). Review of best postharvest practices for fresh market green beans. PEF White Paper 19-01. The Postharvest Education Foundation, La Pine, Oregon, USA.
  8. Erbaş, D., Koyuncu, M.A. (2019). The effects of postharvest putresin, nitric oxide, oxalic and salicylic acid treatments on the fruit quality of Plum cv. Black Diamond during storage [in Turkish]. J. Instit. Sci. Technol., 9(4), 1830–1840. https://doi.org/10.21597/jist.547181
  9. FAO (2023). World string beans production. FAOSTAT, https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL [date of access: 17.01.2025].
  10. García-García, M.D.C, Martín-Expósito, E., Font, I. et al. (2022). Determination of quality parameters in mangetout (Pisum sativum L. ssp. arvense) by using vis/near-ınfrared reflectance spectroscopy. Sensors, 22(11), 4113. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22114113
  11. Germano, T.A., Aguiar, R.P., Bastos, M.S.R. et al. (2019). Galactomannan-carnauba wax coating improves the antioxidant status and reduces chilling injury of ‘Paluma’ guava. Postharvest. Biol. Technol., 149, 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2018.11.013
  12. Gross, K.C., Wang, C.Y., Saltveit, M. (2016). The commercial storage of fruits, vegetables, and florist and nursery stocks. United States Department of Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.348552
  13. Hanaei, S., Bodaghi, H., Ghasimi Hagh, Z. (2022). Alleviation of postharvest chilling injury in sweet pepper using salicylic acid foliar spraying incorporated with caraway oil coating under cold storage. Front. Plant. Sci., 13, 999518. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.999518
  14. Jahan, M.S., Wang, Y., Shu, S. et al. (2019). Exogenous salicylic acid increases the heat tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L) by enhancing photosynthesis efficiency and improving antioxidant defense system through scavenging of reactive oxygen species. Sci. Hortic., 247, 421–429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.12.047
  15. Kasim, M.U., Kasim, R. (2015). Postharvest UV-B treatments increased fructose content of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L. cv. Tayfun F1) harvested at different ripening stages. Food Sci. Technol. (Campinas), 35(4), 742–749. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-457X.0008
  16. Kaur, P., Kaur, K., Devgan, K. et al. (2022). Potential of low‐dose aqueous ozone treatment and packaging to extend quality and shelf‐life of green pea pods under cold storage. J. Food Process. Preserv., 46(10), e16165. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.16165
  17. Khademi, O., Ashtari, M., Razavi, F. (2019). Effects of salicylic acid and ultrasound treatments on chilling injury control and quality preservation in banana fruit during cold storage. Sci. Hortic., 249, 334–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2019.02.018
  18. Kibar, H., Kibar, B., Turfan, N. (2024). Exogenous citric acid, salicylic acid, and putrescine treatments preserve the postharvest quality and physicochemical properties of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) during cold storage. Food Sci. Nutr, 12(3), 1686–1705. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3862
  19. Leslie, C.A., Romani, R.J. (1988). Inhibition of ethylene biosynthesis by salicylic acid. Plant Physiol., 88(3), 833–837. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.88.3.833
  20. Li, A., Sun, X., Liu, L. (2022). Action of salicylic acid on plant growth. Front. Plant Sci., 13, 878076. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.878076
  21. Liu, J., Qiu, G., Liu, C. et al. (2022). Salicylic acid, a multifaceted hormone, combats abiotic stresses in plants. Life, 12(6), 886. https://doi.org/10.3390/life12060886
  22. Lv, N., Zhang, H., Zhou, H. et al. (2024). Hot water mobilizes the metabolism of energy, soluble sugar, cell wall, and phenolics to cope with chilling injury in postharvest snap beans. J. Sci. Food Agric., 104(13), 8263–8274. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.13662
  23. Manzoor, N., Dar, A.H., Khan, S. et al. (2019). Effect of blanching and drying temperatures on various physico-chemical characteristics of green beans. Asian J. Dairy Food Res., 38(3), 213–223. https://doi.org/10.18805/ajdfr.DR-1430
  24. Miura, K., Tada, Y. (2014). Regulation of water, salinity, and cold stress responses by salicylic acid. Front. Plant. Sci., 5, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2014.00004
  25. Ogumo, E.O., Kunyanga, C.N., Kimenju, J.W. et al. (2018). Effects of harvest time and duration before cooling on the post-harvest quality and shelf-life stability of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). J. Nutr. Food Sci., 8(5), 1000730. https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-9600.1000730
  26. Özeker, E. (2005). Salicylic acid and its effects on plants [in Turkish]. Ege Üniv Ziraat Fak Derg, 42(1), 213–223.
  27. Rehman, R.N.U., Malik, A.U., Khan, A.S. et al. (2021). Combined application of hot water treatment and methyl salicylate mitigates chilling injury in sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruits. Sci. Hortic., 283, 110113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110113
  28. Shugaev, A.G., Butsanets, P.A., Andreev, I.M. et al. (2014). Effect of salicylic acid on the metabolic activity of plant mitochondria. Russ. J. Plant Physiol., 1, 520–528. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1021443714040189
  29. TÜİK (2023). Bitkisel Üretim İstatistikleri, https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/medas/?kn=92&locale=tr, [date of access: 17.01.2025].
  30. USDA (2025). Phaseolus vulgaris, https://plants.usda.gov/classification/81861, [date of access: 31.11.2025].
  31. Wang, J., Allan, A.C., Wang, W.Q. et al. (2022). The effects of salicylic acid on quality control of horticultural commodities. N. Z. J. Crop. Hortic. Sci., 50(2–3), 99–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/01140671.2022.2037672
  32. Wang, J., Jiang, Y., Li, G. et al. (2018). Effect of low temperature storage on energy and lipid metabolisms accompanying peel browning of ‘Nanguo’ pears during shelf life. Postharv. Biol. Technol., 139, 75–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.posthar-vbio.2018.01.020
  33. Wang, Y., Luo, Z., Khan, Z.U. et al. (2015). Effect of nitric oxide on energy metabolism in postharvest banana fruit in response to chilling stress. Postharv. Biol. Technol., 108, 21–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2015.05.007
  34. Yılmaz, S.N., İlyasoğlu, H. (2022). Effect of cold storage on color properties and antioxidant capacity of sous vide cooked green bean. Euras. J. Food Sci. Technol., 6(2), 69–75.
  35. Zhang, X., Yi, W., Liu, G. et al. (2021). Colour and chlorophyll level modelling in vacuum-precooled green beans during storage. J. Food Sci. Eng., 301, 110523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2021.110523
  36. Zhang, Y., Zhang, M., Yang, H. (2015). Postharvest chitosan-g-salicylic acid application alleviates chilling injury and preserves cucumber fruit quality during cold storage. Food Chem., 174, 558–563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.11.106
  37. Zong, R., Cantwell, M., Morris, L., Rubatzky, V. (1992). Postharvest studies on four fruit-type Chinese vegetables. Acta Hortic. 318, 345–354. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.318.47

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Similar Articles

<< < 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.