Trehalose in Postharvest Fruit & Horticulture

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Trehalose for Postharvest Fruit & Horticulture: Maintaining Quality After Harvest

Harvest is only the beginning of the postharvest challenge.

Once fruit and vegetables are removed from the plant, they continue to respire, lose moisture and undergo the biochemical changes associated with ripening and ageing. During storage and transport, these processes can lead to loss of firmness, shrivelling, browning, colour deterioration, chilling injury and decay.

For growers, packhouses and fresh-produce businesses, the commercial consequences are significant: reduced shelf life, lower saleable yield and more product lost before it reaches the consumer.

Trehalose is emerging as a promising tool for addressing this challenge.

Research in apples, guava, peaches, litchi, cherry tomatoes, peppers and grapes shows that postharvest trehalose treatments can help maintain fruit quality through effects on moisture loss, respiration, antioxidant defence, membrane stability, energy metabolism, colour retention and chilling tolerance.[1–8]

The result is a growing body of evidence for trehalose as a practical ingredient in postharvest horticulture.

What Can Trehalose Do After Harvest?

Across different crops and storage systems, research has associated trehalose treatment with:

• reduced weight and moisture loss
• better retention of firmness
• lower respiration
• improved tolerance of chilling
• reduced oxidative damage
• stronger cellular membranes
• improved colour retention
• reduced browning
• better maintenance of antioxidant capacity
• delayed senescence
• reduced decay in some crops.[1–8]

These effects are particularly interesting because postharvest deterioration is rarely caused by a single process.

Trehalose can influence several of the biological systems involved in quality loss at the same time, making it an attractive candidate for postharvest treatment programmes.

Maintaining Apple Quality During Storage

Research in Golden Delicious apples provides a strong example of how trehalose can influence storage quality.

Apples treated with a 1.5 g/L trehalose dip showed reduced weight loss and respiration, while maintaining greater flesh firmness and soluble-solid levels during storage than untreated fruit.[1]

The researchers also found changes in sucrose and respiratory metabolism, indicating that trehalose was influencing the physiology of the fruit rather than simply forming an external coating.

Trehalose favoured metabolic pathways associated with sucrose maintenance and altered several of the respiratory pathways through which harvested fruit consumes stored energy.[1]

For commercial apple storage, these findings are significant because firmness, weight and soluble solids all contribute directly to perceived quality and marketability.

Reducing Postharvest Weight Loss

Moisture loss is one of the most visible causes of deterioration in fresh produce.

As water is lost after harvest, fruit can become softer, lighter and less attractive, reducing both saleable weight and consumer appeal.

Trehalose-treated apples experienced lower weight loss during storage.[1]

More recent research in Kyoho grapes similarly found reduced weight loss following trehalose treatment during 19 days of storage.[8]

For growers, packers and fresh-produce businesses, even modest improvements in moisture retention can translate into better appearance, greater saleable weight and improved storage performance.

Helping Fruit Tolerate Cold Storage

Refrigeration is fundamental to modern fresh-produce supply chains, but many fruits are sensitive to prolonged exposure to low temperatures.

Cold-sensitive produce can develop chilling injury, causing problems such as browning, pitting, tissue damage, poor flavour development and abnormal ripening.

Trehalose has produced particularly encouraging results in research involving guava, peaches and fresh-cut peppers.[2–5]

The studies point towards several complementary effects, including:

• better membrane integrity
• increased antioxidant defence
• improved cellular energy status
• changes in soluble-sugar metabolism.

This makes chilling tolerance one of the strongest areas of postharvest trehalose research.

Guava: Lower Chilling Injury and Improved Energy Management

Researchers treating Kim Ju guava with 200 mM trehalose for 30 minutes before cold storage found reduced chilling injury and improved membrane stability.[2]

Further work showed how trehalose may produce this effect.

Guava treated with trehalose and stored at 8°C showed increased activity of SnRK1, a major cellular energy-sensing system, together with improvements in cellular energy metabolism.[3]

The treated fruit maintained a higher energy charge and developed chilling symptoms later than untreated fruit.

During the relevant observation period, the chilling-injury index was approximately 43% lower on average in the trehalose-treated fruit.[3]

This provides a particularly valuable demonstration of trehalose helping harvested fruit maintain the energy required to protect cells during cold storage.

Peaches: Supporting Antioxidant Defence During Refrigeration

Peaches can suffer significant quality loss during low-temperature storage, including internal browning, woolly texture and abnormal ripening.

Research has shown that postharvest trehalose treatment can reduce chilling symptoms in peaches.[2,4]

A 2024 study examining the molecular response found that trehalose increased the activity of several important antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase.[4]

At the same time, concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde — indicators associated with oxidative and membrane damage — were reduced.[4]

These findings strengthen the case for trehalose as a tool for helping sensitive fruit withstand the oxidative stresses associated with cold storage.

Fresh-Cut Peppers: Protecting Processed Produce

Fresh-cut fruit and vegetables present an additional postharvest challenge.

Cutting exposes and damages cells, increasing respiration, moisture loss and oxidative stress.

Research on fresh-cut peppers found that trehalose treatment increased antioxidant-enzyme activity while reducing lipid damage, electrolyte leakage and cellular structural deterioration during cold storage.[5]

Trehalose-treated peppers also retained more chlorophyll and vitamin C.[5]

Microscopic analysis showed better preservation of chloroplasts, mitochondria and other cellular structures.

This is particularly relevant to fresh-cut and minimally processed produce, where maintaining tissue integrity after processing is central to product quality.

Litchi: Reducing Browning and Preserving Colour

Colour can determine whether fresh fruit is purchased or rejected.

Litchi is especially vulnerable because its distinctive red skin can brown rapidly after harvest even while the fruit inside remains acceptable.

A 2025 study investigated litchi treated with 2.5 g/L trehalose during storage at 25°C.[6]

Trehalose delayed browning and helped retain the fruit's red colour.

Across storage, the reported browning index was approximately 31.8% lower on average than in untreated fruit.[6]

The treatment also increased antioxidant activity, reduced markers of oxidative and membrane damage, and helped maintain phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanin pigments.[6]

Trehalose also influenced genes involved in anthocyanin production and cellular energy metabolism.

For high-value fruit in which appearance strongly affects commercial value, these results are particularly relevant.

Cherry Tomatoes: Lower Decay and Better Antioxidant Capacity

Postharvest cherry tomatoes have also responded positively to trehalose treatment.

A 2023 study using 0.5% and 1% trehalose solutions found improved fruit quality and antioxidant capacity during postharvest ripening.[7]

Under the conditions tested, rot incidence fell from 44.5% in the comparison treatment to 18.5% following trehalose treatment.[7]

The researchers associated the improvement with stronger antioxidant activity and changes in enzymes involved in oxidative defence and lipid degradation.

This illustrates an important feature of postharvest trehalose: maintaining healthier tissue and stronger cellular protection can help fruit remain marketable for longer.

Grapes: Reducing Weight Loss, Decay and Senescence

Recent work with Kyoho grapes adds further evidence.

A 2026 study followed trehalose-treated grapes through 19 days of storage.[8]

Trehalose reduced weight loss, decay rate and decay severity.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis showed changes in pathways associated with phenolic metabolism and amino-acid biosynthesis, with the researchers concluding that trehalose helped delay senescence and maintain grape quality.[8]

The study demonstrates how postharvest research is progressing beyond simple measurements of firmness or weight loss to examine the wider metabolic effects of trehalose treatment.

Why Does Trehalose Work?

The research points towards several complementary mechanisms.

Antioxidant Defence

Harvesting, processing, refrigeration and storage all create physiological stress.

This can increase reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals. Excessive accumulation damages cell membranes, pigments, proteins and cellular structures.

Across litchi, peaches, peppers, guava, cherry tomatoes and grapes, trehalose treatment has repeatedly been associated with stronger antioxidant systems or lower indicators of oxidative damage.[3–8]

Membrane Stability

Healthy cell membranes are fundamental to maintaining fruit structure and quality.

As membranes deteriorate, cellular contents begin to leak and previously separated enzymes and compounds can interact, accelerating browning, oxidation and tissue breakdown.

Trehalose-treated fruit has repeatedly shown lower electrolyte leakage, reduced lipid damage and improved cellular structure.[2,4–6]

Energy Metabolism

Harvested fruit remains alive and requires energy to maintain membranes, cellular organisation, antioxidant defence and repair systems.

Research in guava, litchi and apples shows that trehalose can influence how harvested tissue produces and uses its remaining energy reserves.[1,3,6]

Maintaining cellular energy may therefore be one of the ways trehalose helps fruit withstand storage stress.

Respiration

Respiration gradually consumes the fruit's stored carbohydrates after harvest.

Excessive respiration accelerates ageing and quality loss.

In stored apples, trehalose reduced respiration and altered several of the metabolic pathways involved in energy production.[1]

This was accompanied by better maintenance of firmness and soluble solids.

How Is Trehalose Applied Postharvest?

Most published research has used a dip or soak treatment before storage.

These published treatments provide useful starting points for product development.[1–7]

In practice, the most effective treatment will depend on the crop, cultivar, maturity, storage conditions and intended commercial outcome.

This makes postharvest trehalose particularly suitable for targeted trials in which concentration, treatment time and storage conditions can be optimised for a specific crop and supply chain.

Trehalose as Part of a Postharvest System

Trehalose is most valuable as part of a wider postharvest-quality programme.

Refrigeration, controlled storage, packaging and good handling remain essential, while trehalose offers an additional opportunity to improve the fruit's physiological response to storage.

Depending on the crop, potential objectives include:

• improving cold-storage tolerance
• reducing moisture and weight loss
• maintaining firmness and appearance
• reducing browning
• retaining colour
• supporting antioxidant defence
• delaying senescence
• extending the period over which produce remains commercially attractive.

Rather than acting as a conventional antimicrobial preservative, trehalose is particularly interesting because it supports the biology of the harvested tissue itself.

Where Is the Commercial Opportunity?

Postharvest horticulture represents a potentially valuable B2B application for trehalose.

Potential users include:

• commercial fruit and vegetable growers
• packhouses
• fresh-produce suppliers
• cold-storage operators
• fresh-cut produce manufacturers
• horticultural processors
• postharvest technology companies
• research organisations
• product-development teams.

High-value and highly perishable produce is especially attractive for development work because relatively small improvements in quality retention can have meaningful economic value.

Potential candidates for commercial trials include berries, stone fruit, grapes, tropical fruit, tomatoes and specialist fresh-cut produce.

For these businesses, the question is not simply whether fruit can be stored for longer. It is whether more of the crop can reach customers in the condition required for sale.

That is where trehalose becomes commercially interesting.

A Growing Body of Postharvest Evidence

Postharvest trehalose research now covers apples, guava, peaches, litchi, cherry tomatoes, peppers and grapes.[1–8]

Across those crops, the findings show a recurring pattern:

Moisture and Weight Retention

Lower weight loss has been reported in apples and grapes.[1,8]

Firmness and Storage Quality

Trehalose-treated apples maintained greater firmness and soluble solids during storage.[1]

Chilling Tolerance

Research in guava, peaches and peppers demonstrates improved tolerance of cold-storage stress.[2–5]

Colour and Browning

Litchi research shows substantially reduced browning and improved retention of red pigmentation.[6]

Antioxidant Defence

Stronger antioxidant activity is one of the most consistent findings across the postharvest literature.[3–8]

Membrane Protection

Reduced electrolyte leakage, lipid damage and cellular deterioration have been observed across several crops.[2,4–6]

Energy Metabolism

Research in guava, litchi and apples shows that trehalose can influence the way harvested tissue manages its energy reserves.[1,3,6]

Senescence and Decay

Cherry-tomato and grape studies have reported reduced deterioration and decay during storage.[7,8]

Taken together, these results make postharvest horticulture one of the most interesting developing applications for trehalose.

Developing Postharvest Applications with Trehalose UK

Trehalose UK is expanding its support for agricultural, horticultural and postharvest applications of genuine Japanese trehalose.

We welcome enquiries from businesses and researchers interested in developing trehalose treatments for:

• fruit storage
• cold-chain performance
• fresh-cut produce
• postharvest quality
• horticultural processing
• commercial crop trials
• research and product development.

We can support customers from initial development quantities through to larger commercial supply.

If you are investigating trehalose for a postharvest application, contact us with details of the crop, proposed treatment and required quantity.

Contact Trehalose UK — sales@trehalose.co.uk

Further Reading

Trehalose in Agriculture: Uses, Benefits & Research

Trehalose for Heat and Cold Stress in Plants

Trehalose for Drought & Water Stress in Plants

References & Further Reading

[1] Canying Li, Lei Sun, Jie Zhu, Yuan Cheng, Rui Huang, Yiting Fan, Mi Guo, and Yonghong Ge. 2022. “Trehalose Maintains the Quality of Malus domestica by Mediating Sucrose and Respiratory Metabolism.” Scientia Horticulturae 295: 110857. DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110857.

[2] Thanakorn Vichaiya, Bualuang Faiyue, Siriphorn Rotarayanont, Jamnong Uthaibutra, and Kobkiat Saengnil. 2022. “Exogenous Trehalose Alleviates Chilling Injury of ‘Kim Ju’ Guava by Modulating Soluble Sugar and Energy Metabolisms.” Scientia Horticulturae 301: 111138. DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111138.

[3] Thanakorn Vichaiya, Sitthisak Intarasit, Kamolchanok Umnajkitikorn, Siriphorn Jangsutthivorawat, and Kobkiat Saengnil. 2023. “Postharvest Trehalose Application Alleviates Chilling Injury of Cold Storage Guava through Upregulation of SnRK1 and Energy Charge.” Scientia Horticulturae 313: 111898. DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2023.111898.

[4] Xingxing Wang, Yingying Wei, Shu Jiang, Jianfen Ye, Yi Chen, Feng Xu, and Xingfeng Shao. 2024. “Transcriptome Analysis Reveals That Trehalose Alleviates Chilling Injury of Peach Fruit by Regulating ROS Signaling Pathway and Enhancing Antioxidant Capacity.” Food Research International 186: 114331. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114331.

[5] Feng Ding and Ruiming Wang. 2018. “Amelioration of Postharvest Chilling Stress by Trehalose in Pepper.” Scientia Horticulturae 232: 52–56. DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2017.12.053.

[6] Gangshuai Liu, Shiqi Liu, Jialiang Liu, Yue Xiang, Lisha Zhu, Xiangbin Xu, and Zhengke Zhang. 2025. “Trehalose Delays Postharvest Browning of Litchi Fruit by Regulating Antioxidant Capacity, Anthocyanin Synthesis and Energy Status.” Postharvest Biology and Technology 219: 113249. DOI: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2024.113249.

[7] Tingting Fan, Minghui Xia, Junxuan Cao, Jing Zhang, T. Wang, and S. Cao. 2023. “Trehalose Regulates the Quality and Antioxidant Capacity of Cherry Tomato during Postharvest Ripening.” International Food Research Journal 30, no. 4: 933–944. DOI: 10.47836/ifrj.30.4.11.

[8] Yuanzhi Li, Rui Zhang, Xiaoya Zhou, Nazir Ahmed, Yongkang Nong, and Haifeng Jia. 2026. “Trehalose Improves Postharvest Kyoho Grapes Quality Based on Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis.” Journal of Food Safety 46, no. 1: e70057. DOI: 10.1111/jfs.70057.