Peach fruit easily soften and have a short storage time at normal temperature. In this study, peach fruit (Prunus persica sieb et Zucc cv. Yingqing) were picked and stored at 25 and 4°C to investigate the senescence in correlation with Ca2+- ATPase activity of microsomal membrane and lipid peroxidation during ripening and senescence. In comparison with that stored at 25°C, the fruit stored at 4°C exhibited a higher flesh firmness, lower respiration rate, and generated the late bigger peak value of Ca2+-ATPase activity as well as maintained the higher activity of the enzyme. Meanwhile, the lower levels of super oxygen radical (O2·–) production and content of malondialdehyde (MDA), a product of membrane lipid peroxidation were observed. Sodium orthovanadate (SO) and erythrosin B (EB), as Ca2+-ATPase inhibitors, could stimulate the respiration rate. The results suggested that the slower senescence rate of peach fruit was closely related to the higher peak value and longer duration of Ca2+-ATPase activity in microsomal membrane, with the slighter membrane lipid peroxidation and lower O2·– production rate.
