Degreening with ethylene is a common postharvest practice in citrus fruit. In this work we
have examined the effect of ethylene treatment on carotenoid content and composition, and
on the expression of carotenoid biosynthetic genes in the flavedo of Navelate orange (Citrus
sinensis L.) harvested at two ripening stages. The ethylene-induced fruit coloration and
carotenoid content in the flavedo increased with the ripening stage of the fruit. Analysis of
the changes in individual carotenoids revealed that ethylene stimulated an increase in …