Physical and physiological characteristics, as well as miRNA concentrations, are affected by the storage time of tomatoes.

This study aims to investigate the potential of miRNA measurements in indicating tomato quality during transportation and storage. The impact of storage temperature, duration, and mechanical loading on tomato senescence, carotenoid content, total soluble solids, fruit firmness, and relevant miRNA concentrations were examined. Significant two-way or three-way interactions were observed between storage conditions and physical/physiological characteristics (excluding carotenoids). Remarkably, significant three-way interactions were found between storage conditions and miRNA concentrations. Strong correlations were observed between the physiological characteristics of the tomatoes and their miRNA concentrations. These findings suggest that measuring miRNAs could serve as a convenient and portable method for evaluating postharvest fruit quality, reducing reliance on labor-intensive laboratory techniques.