Efficacy of different treatments in regulating apple preservation: systematic review and network meta-analysis

Regarding the postharvest preservation treatment of apples, this study employed the network Meta-analysis (NMA) to systematically evaluate the regulatory effects of 48 preservation treatments, and verified them through storage experiments. Based on results obtained from the NMA, methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and pullulan polysaccharide (PUL) showed significant gain effects on multiple indicators. This study further combined the use of these two substances, and the results showed that the combined treatment could significantly reduce the weight loss of apples, inhibit enzymatic browning, and maintain the contents of total solids (TSS), total acidity (TA), vitamin C (VC), and total phenolic content (TPC), enhance the activity of antioxidant system enzymes, reduce the accumulation of H₂O₂, O₂ ^- and MDA, and simultaneously inhibit the respiratory rate and ethylene release rate. The compound preservation scheme obtained through screening can provide practical technical references.