Nitric Oxide Applications for Quality Enhancement of Horticulture Produce

Abstract

Recent advances in understanding physiological and biochemical roles of nitric oxide (NO) revealed that it has highly fascinating and multifaceted effects. Among these, judicial regulations of NO in different horticulture produce have enormous applications. Emerging evidences established that NO is a signaling molecule that interacts with other hormones and growth regulators, thereby contributing to the alleviation of senescence and improvement of quality in plant tissues and organs, which enhance the shelf life of harvested plant materials such as fruits, vegetables, foliage, tubers, and cut flowers. The inherent property of NO in countering the formation of ethylene bymodulation of gene expressions, enzymes, and proteins contributes to the improvedtexture, color, and other sensorial attributes, rendering not only the extended storage but also the commercial edge by benefiting producers and providing nutritional advantage to consumers. While describing the normal and special mechanisms of actions of NO at biochemical and molecular levels and comprehensively integrating the cross talks among different pathways, this chapterprovides details of each regulatory pathway that confers quality to horticultural produce.