1-MCP is a highly effective inhibitor of ethylene production and action. Ethylene, a plant hormone that promotes maturation and senescence, can be produced by some plants themselves, and can also exist in certain amounts in the storage environment and even the air.
Ethylene binds to relevant receptors within cells to activate a series of physiological and biochemical reactions related to maturation, accelerating senescence and death.
1-MCP can also bind well to ethylene receptors, but this binding does not trigger the biochemical reactions of maturation.
Therefore, applying 1-MCP before endogenous ethylene production or exogenous ethylene action in plants allows it to preemptively bind to ethylene receptors, thus preventing ethylene from binding to its receptors and effectively prolonging the maturation and senescence process of fruits and vegetables, extending their shelf life.
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