Exploring the potential of alternative current electric field treatment for preservation and the tissue softening mechanism in Pleurotus ostreatus

Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) is one of the common edible fungi; however, enzyme reactions during the storage period destroys its texture, resulting in a short shelf life (<10 days) and eventually resulting in wastes. Previous studies have demonstrated that the application of high electrostatic field treatment effectively suppresses the browning of P. ostreatus during storage by inhibiting oxidase activity. In the present study, P. ostreatus was employed as a model to explore cell wall decomposition alleviation by treatment with direct current electric field (DCEF) and alternative current electric field (ACEF). The results indicated that ACEF (400 kV m−1, 90–120 min) led to lower weight loss, lower firmness loss (400 kV m−1, 120 min), and reduced moisture migration during storage. Further research confirmed that ACEF (600 kV m−1, 120 min) treatment inhibited chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase activities by 72% ± 6% and 53% ± 3%, respectively, thereby delaying the disintegration of P. ostreatus during storage. In addition, as a noncompetitive inhibitor, ACEF reduced the Km and Vmax of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in P. ostreatus. In conclusion, ACEF treatment significantly alleviated texture loss in P. ostreatus, with a preservation rate of 9.3% ± 0.3%. These findings highlight the potential of ACEF treatment as a promising strategy for enhancing the preservation and commercialization of edible fungi.