Precise micro-perforated modified atmosphere packaging delayed winter jujube browning by regulation of reactive oxygen metabolism and energy metabolism

High carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations induce pulp browning in winter jujubes. In the present study, we employed precise micro-perforated modified atmosphere packaging (PMP-MAP) to maintain the headspace CO 2 concentration at 2.0 ± 0.3%. At 35d of storage, PMP-MAP reduced the browning index by 30.1% compared to non-perforated modified atmosphere packaging (NP-MAP), simultaneously suppressing the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and superoxide anions Higher levels of ascorbic acid (ASA), glutathione (GSH), phenolic compounds, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) boost antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Furthermore, PMP-MAP-treated fruits exhibited a substantially higher unsaturated fatty acid to saturated fatty acid (USFA/SFA) ratio than NP-MAP., These results demonstrate that PMP-MAP effectively delays browning in winter jujube during storage by maintaining reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity and energy metabolism, stabilizing membrane structure, and providing novel insights into optimizing fruit - preservation technologies. • PMP-MAP is prepared by laser micro-perforation based on Del-Valle equation. • PMP-MAP alleviates jujube browning by regulating energy and ROS metabolism. • PMP-MAP maintains higher ATP levels and lower ROS levels of jujube. • PMP-MAP enhances antioxidant enzymes activities and antioxidant compounds. • PMP-MAP improves USFA/SFA ratio to maintain cell membrane integrity.