NaHS maintains the quality of fresh-cut pear during cold storage by alleviating browning and microbial contamination: a multi-omics study

The rapid quality deterioration of fresh-cut pear during cold storage, mainly caused by enzymatic browning and microbial proliferation, is a major challenge for shelf-life extension. In this study, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), a hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) donor, was evaluated as a preservation treatment for fresh-cut pear stored at 4 °C. NaHS treatment (0.2–2 mmol L⁻¹) effectively maintained visual quality, delayed softening, reduced browning, and suppressed microbial growth, with 0.2 mmol L⁻¹ identified as the minimum effective concentration. Physiological analyses showed that NaHS maintained ascorbic acid content, inhibited PPO activity, enhanced SOD and CAT activities, and reduced the accumulation of O₂·⁻, H₂O₂, and MDA. Microbiome analysis further showed that NaHS reduced bacterial diversity and suppressed spoilage-associated genera, particularly Pantoea and Paenibacillus. Integrated transcriptomic, metabolomic and qRT-PCR analyses suggested that NaHS-mediated quality maintenance was associated with coordinated regulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism, antioxidant capacity, membrane lipid metabolism, and cell wall degradation. Overall, this multi-omics study provides integrated evidence for biological processes potentially associated with the preservative effects of NaHS and highlights the potential of NaHS as a practical strategy for maintaining the quality of fresh-cut pear during cold storage.