Hongpeng Wang¹ , Dandan Huang²

1 Biotechnology Research Center of Zhuji Cuixi Academy of Biotechology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China
2 Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 5   doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0024
Received: 04 Jun., 2025    Accepted: 20 Sep., 2025    Published: 18 Oct., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Wang H.P., and Huang D.D., 2025, Physiological mechanisms of fruit ripening in yellow pitaya genetic regulation of softening, sugar accumulation, and antioxidant metabolism, International Journal of Horticulture, 15(5): 234-241 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0024)

Pitaya (Hylocereus spp.) is a climacteric tropical fruit of nutritional and economic importance. Fruit ripening is associated with intricate physiological and biochemical processes, such as softening, the accumulation of sugars, and the control of dynamic antioxidant metabolism. The softening of the fruit is mainly the consequence of cooperative action of cell wall-degrading enzymes with ethylene and other hormonal regulators' control. Sugar content is a major reason that is responsible for Pitaya quality and taste, with metabolic catabolism of glucose, fructose, and sucrose, central sugar metabolizing enzymes playing a pivotal role in the same. In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and their processes of scavenging during fruit ripening play roles in modulating antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, the shifting composition of key antioxidant enzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) and non-enzymatic antioxidants such as phenols, flavonoids, and vitamin C also contribute significantly towards providing the storage characteristics to the fruit. In this research, molecular regulation of fruit softening, sugar accumulation, and antioxidant metabolism was examined in Pitaya. It studied the role of ethylene signaling in regulating sugar metabolism, coordination of cell wall breakdown and sugar transport, and antioxidant metabolic regulatory function in fruit ripening. It serves as a theoretical foundation for research on Pitaya ripening physiological mechanism and basis for providing scientific recommendations for increasing cultivation and postharvest management of improved varieties.

Pitaya; Fruit ripening; Softening; Sugar accumulation; Antioxidant metabolism; Gene regulation; Breeding strategies