effects of 1-mcp and ethylene on antioxidant enzymes activity and postharvest physio-biochemical characteristics of cut carnation flower cv. ‘fortune’

Carnation (dianthus caryophyllus l.) is one of the most important cutflowers in the world. the majority of the carnation cultivars are sensitive toethylene which affected the physiological and biochemical postharvest characteristicsof these flowers. applying inhibitors of biosynthesis and action ofethylene is important factor to protect the display quality and extend postharvestlife. in order to evaluate the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-mcp) andethylene on antioxidant enzymes activity of cut carnation cv. fortune and subsequentlyon extending the vase life, this experiment was designed in completelyrandomized design (crd) with 3 replications. carnation cut flowers werefirstly treated with 1-mcp at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 ?l/l for 24 hand subsequently exposed to ethylene (1 ?l/l) for 16 h. data were analyzedusing mstat-c statistical software and means were compared based on leastsignificant differences (lsd) test (p < 0.01). our results showed that 1-mcptreatment had significant effects on vase life and biochemical characteristicslike contents of leaf chlorophyll, petal anthocyanin, petal cell membranestability and antioxidant enzymes activity such as catalase, peroxidase, and superoxidedismutase. the highest vase life and cell membrane stability wereappeared in 1.5 ?l/l 1-mcp which was significantly higher than 0 and 0.5 ?l/l,although there was no significant difference with 1 ?l. the highest chlorophylland anthocyanin contents were also measured under 1.5 ?l/l 1-mcp which wassignificantly higher than other treatments. the highest and lowest catalase andperoxidase activity were related to 1 and 0 ?l/l 1-mcp, respectively. thehighest and lowest superoxide dismutase activity was observed in 1.5 and 0?l/l 1-mcp. in conclusion, application of 1-mcp improved and delayed theonset of senescence symptoms resulted in extending the vase life of cutcarnation cv. fortune.