Effect of electron beam irradiation on postharvest quality and selected enzyme activities of the white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus.

Agaricus bisporus fruit bodies were exposed to different doses (1, 2, 3, and 4 kGy) of electron beam irradiation (EBI), and various physiological changes associated with postharvest deterioration, as well as selected enzymes considered to play a role in senescence, were monitored over a subsequent 16-day storage period at 4 degrees C and 75-85% relative humidity. EBI retarded postharvest mushroom softening and overall increases in malondialdehyde levels were more pronounced in controls compared with those of the irradiated samples. After 10 days of storage, polyphenoloxidase activity in samples irradiated with 1-4 kGy doses was significantly (P<0.05) lower compared to that in control samples. Superoxide dismutase activity generally declined throughout the postharvest storage period in both irradiated and control samples, but no clear correlation between enzyme activity and EBI dosage was evident. Catalase activity decreased more slowly and to a lesser extent in fruit bodies exposed to 1 kGy compared with that in the controls and the other irradiated samples.