Manipulation of petal senescence in Jasminum nitidum flowers with packaging and pre-treatment during storage: Role of phenolics

Abstract

Flower petals are an excellent model system for the study of fundamental aspects of senescence. The present study aimed to study the changes taking place during petal senescence in flowers of Jasminum nitidum during storage. The experiment was laid out in CRD with four treatments and four replications. Polyethylene bags of 200 micron thickness with 15 cm x 9 cm dimension without ventilation were used for packaging the flowers. The total phenols in the flowers was estimated from initial stage to the senescent stage. The amount of total phenols had a decreasing trend with progressing stages. This reduction of phenols might have created an internal environment suitable for the senescent changes in the flowers. It was found that treating the flowers with 4% boric acid + cold storage (5 °C) was associated with higher levels of total phenols (14.06, 11.96, 9.55 and 7.65 mg/g respectively during the first four days after treatment). The lowest levels of total phenols (12.27, 10.14, 8.20 and 6.20) were observed in control, wherein the flowers were stored at room temperature