Extension of postharvest life by application of edible coatings on tomatoes var. 234 with silencing of the TomLoxb gene

ABSTRACT Fruit mutants with the silenced TomloxB gene (tomato lipoxygenase B) have proven to be an alternative in extending postharvest life; however, their interaction with other classical technologies, such as the use of edible coatings, has been scarcely explored. The synergy between the two treatments can improve aspects of fruit quality during its postharvest life or even increase this period. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of coatings (candelilla wax (CW) and Semperfresh® (S)) on the postharvest life and lipoxygenase activity of genetically modified (GM) tomatoes. Wild Type (WT) and GM tomatoes with the antisense TomLoxB gene insertion were used. LOX activity values on day 18 were 721 U/mg protein, in fruits coated with CW, below the WT fruit (859 U/mg protein) and other GM fruits with other coatings (916 to 996 U/mg protein). CW was the coating that exhibited the best results in preserving the postharvest life of the GM tomato for up to 30 days, compared to the other coatings (24 days). Genetic modification in tomatoes prolonged their postharvest life, which increased further with the use of coatings such as CW.