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Effects of Postharvest Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA) and \(\gamma\)-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) on the Quality and Storability of Granny Smith Apple Fruit

Reber Khairadeen Ahmed Al-mzori1, Sarfaraz Fatah Ali Al-Bamarny1
1Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture Engineering Sciences, Duhok University, Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70517/revcc2624178
Published: 02/11/2026
: Reber Khairadeen Ahmed Al-mzori, Sarfaraz Fatah Ali Al-Bamarny. Effects of Postharvest Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA) and \(\gamma\)-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) on the Quality and Storability of Granny Smith Apple Fruit. Revista Cultura Científica, 2026 Issue 24. pg. 2179-2193.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of postharvest methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatments on the quality and storability of Granny Smith apples harvested from a private orchard in Duhok Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The reported treatment concentrations were 0, 0.75, 1.5, and 2.5 mM MeJA, applied by dipping for five minutes, and 0, 5, 10, and 15 mM GABA, applied by dipping for fifteen minutes. Fruit were stored for 30, 60, and 120 days at a reported temperature of 1 ± 1 ∘C and 85–90% relative humidity. The tabulated results showed that 2.5 mM MeJA maintained greater firmness and ascorbic acid content and reduced weight loss compared with the untreated MeJA level. GABA treatments also maintained firmness, while their effects on weight loss, acidity, and ascorbic acid depended on concentration. Main effects of either treatment on total soluble solids and total phenolic content were not statistically significant according to the reported Duncan groupings. Titratable acidity was numerically higher at the two highest MeJA concentrations, but the MeJA main-effect means shared the same significance letter. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were evaluated after 120 days and were generally greater in treated fruit, although the strongest response depended on the enzyme and treatment combination. Across storage periods, firmness and titratable acidity decreased, whereas weight loss and total soluble solids increased. Ascorbic acid and total phenolic content reached their highest storage-period means at 60 days. Overall, the results support the potential of MeJA and GABA dipping treatments to preserve selected quality attributes, while demonstrating that benefits were specific to the response variable and storage interval rather than uniform across all measured characteristics.

Keywords: Methyl jasmonate; gamma-aminobutyric acid; postharvest dipping; Granny Smith apples; cold storage; antioxidant enzymes

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of postharvest methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatments on the quality and storability of Granny Smith apples harvested from a private orchard in Duhok Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The reported treatment concentrations were 0, 0.75, 1.5, and 2.5 mM MeJA, applied by dipping for five minutes, and 0, 5, 10, and 15 mM GABA, applied by dipping for fifteen minutes. Fruit were stored for 30, 60, and 120 days at a reported temperature of 1 ± 1 ∘C and 85–90% relative humidity. The tabulated results showed that 2.5 mM MeJA maintained greater firmness and ascorbic acid content and reduced weight loss compared with the untreated MeJA level. GABA treatments also maintained firmness, while their effects on weight loss, acidity, and ascorbic acid depended on concentration. Main effects of either treatment on total soluble solids and total phenolic content were not statistically significant according to the reported Duncan groupings. Titratable acidity was numerically higher at the two highest MeJA concentrations, but the MeJA main-effect means shared the same significance letter. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were evaluated after 120 days and were generally greater in treated fruit, although the strongest response depended on the enzyme and treatment combination. Across storage periods, firmness and titratable acidity decreased, whereas weight loss and total soluble solids increased. Ascorbic acid and total phenolic content reached their highest storage-period means at 60 days. Overall, the results support the potential of MeJA and GABA dipping treatments to preserve selected quality attributes, while demonstrating that benefits were specific to the response variable and storage interval rather than uniform across all measured characteristics.

Keywords: Methyl jasmonate; gamma-aminobutyric acid; postharvest dipping; Granny Smith apples; cold storage; antioxidant enzymes

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Reber Khairadeen Ahmed Al-mzori
Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture Engineering Sciences, Duhok University, Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
reberkhairiahmed@gmail.com
Sarfaraz Fatah Ali Al-Bamarny
Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture Engineering Sciences, Duhok University, Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

How to cite:

Reber Khairadeen Ahmed Al-mzori, Sarfaraz Fatah Ali Al-Bamarny. Effects of Postharvest Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA) and \(\gamma\)-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) on the Quality and Storability of Granny Smith Apple Fruit. Revista Cultura Científica, 2026 Issue 24. pg. 2179-2193.

Publication History

  • Received: 24/05/2026
  • Accepted: 29/10/2026
  • Published: 02/11/2026
Copyright © 2026, Reber Khairadeen Ahmed Al-mzori, Sarfaraz Fatah Ali Al-Bamarny. Published by Revista Cultura Científica. This article is published as open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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