Role of Melatonin on Post-Harvest Physiology of Crops

Melatonin, a versatile chemical best known for controlling sleep-wake cycles in mammals, has recently emerged as an important regulator of crop post-harvest physiology. This abstract presents an overview of current knowledge about melatonin’s impact on post-harvest processes, offering insight on its potential applications in increasing shelf life and preserving crop quality. The antioxidative and free-radical scavenging abilities of melatonin have been widely studied in the context of post-harvest physiology. Its capacity to reduce oxidative stress by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) helps to maintain cellular integrity, reducing the degeneration of harvested crops. Furthermore, melatonin modulates phytohormone balance, including abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene. Exogenous melatonin has shown encouraging results in a variety of crops, delaying senescence, reducing rot, and retaining nutritional content. Melatonin treatments have also shown promise in improving chilling and drought tolerance, emphasizing their importance in post-harvest settings. Despite the advances, numerous aspects demand more investigations. The exact processes underpinning melatonin’s impacts on post-harvest physiology require further investigation. For application of melatonin during pre and post harvest, dosage optimization, and research into potential interactions with other storage technologies are required. Finally, melatonin emerges as a critical regulator of crop post-harvest physiology, influencing oxidative stress, phytohormone balance, and stress responses. Its ability to lengthen shelf life, maintain quality, and improve stress tolerance bodes well for sustainable agriculture and reduced food waste. It is critical to conduct additional study.