Fresh-cut taro, renowned for its high nutritional value and convenience, is prone to rapid browning post-cutting, which hinders its storage life. This study focused on the effects of L-ascorbic acid (AA) combined with ultrasound (US) treatment (AS) on the storage quality and transcriptome analysis of fresh-cut slices of Yongding June Red Taro. Compared to the control (CK) group, AS treatment effectively reduced the weight loss rate of taro slices, maintained higher hardness, delayed the increase of browning, and inhibited the accumulation of O2− and H2O2. Furthermore, the AS group showed increased glutathione levels and maintained higher activities of ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase, yet decreased the contents of flavonoids and reducing sugars. Simultaneously, in the AS group, the activities of tyrosinase and lipoxygenase were lowered, thereby preserving the high sensory quality of fresh-cut taro slices. Transcriptome analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the AS and CK groups were annotated and categorized into 50 and 20 functional groups based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, respectively. Notably, both groups exhibited significant enrichment in processes related to photosynthesis, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, and isoflavone biosynthesis. Therefore, we concluded that AS treatment could alleviate oxidative stress and maintain storage quality by regulating metabolic pathways. These findings provide insights into the physiological changes occurring in taro immediately after cutting and serve as an essential basis for developing effective storage and preservation techniques.

中文翻译：

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L-抗坏血酸联合超声处理鲜切芋头的贮藏品质及转录组分析


鲜切芋头以其高营养价值和便利性而闻名，切割后容易迅速褐变，从而阻碍其储存寿命。本研究重点研究了 L-抗坏血酸 （AA） 联合超声 （US） 处理 （AS） 对永定六月红芋头鲜切切片贮藏品质和转录组分析的影响。与对照组 （CK） 相比，AS 处理有效降低了芋头片的失重率，保持了较高的硬度，延缓了褐变的增加，并抑制了 O2− 和 H2O2 的积累。此外，AS 组表现为谷胱甘肽水平升高，抗坏血酸过氧化物酶和谷胱甘肽还原酶活性维持较高，但黄酮类化合物和还原糖含量降低。同时，AS 组酪氨酸酶和脂氧合酶活性降低，从而保留了鲜切芋头片的高感官品质。转录组分析显示，AS 和 CK 组之间的差异表达基因 （DEGs） 分别根据基因本体论 （GO） 和京都基因与基因组百科全书 （KEGG） 数据库被注释并分为 50 和 20 个功能组。值得注意的是，两组在与光合作用、内质网中的蛋白质加工和异黄酮生物合成相关的过程中都表现出显着富集。因此，我们得出结论，AS 处理可以通过调节代谢途径来缓解氧化应激并维持储存质量。这些发现为芋头在切割后立即发生的生理变化提供了见解，并作为开发有效储存和保存技术的重要基础。