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Article|27 Nov 2025|OPEN
New insights into controlling horticultural crop quality deterioration caused by cold stress: epigenetic modification 
Xiaodong Fu1 ,† , Fujun Li1 ,† , Yanan Li1 , Xiaoan Li1 , Xinhua Zhang1 , and Zienab F.R. Ahmed,2 ,
1College of Agricultural Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, Shandong, PR China
2Integrative Agriculture Department, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates
*Corresponding author. E-mail: zxh@sdut.edu.cn,zienab.ahmed@uaeu.ac.ae
Both authors contributed equally to the study.

Horticulture Research 13,
Article number: uhaf326 (2026)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhaf326
Views: 34

Received: 14 Jul 2025
Accepted: 18 Nov 2025
Published online: 27 Nov 2025

Abstract

Low-temperature environments cause chilling injury in horticultural crops and accelerate quality deterioration after rewarming, which is closely related to epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic regulation is widely involved in various aspects of cold responses in horticultural crops, including the expression of cold-tolerant proteins, dynamic changes in cell membranes, energy metabolism, and reactive oxygen species metabolism. With the emergence and development of new scientific technologies, uncovering the secrets of epigenetic regulation in horticultural crop quality is becoming possible. Therefore, this paper reviews the types, roles, and potential mechanisms of epigenetic modifications involved in cold stress responses in horticultural crops, summarizes the dynamic changes and effects of exogenous treatments on epigenetic modifications, and discusses the feasibility of new editing technologies in epigenetic research and applications. This review aims to elucidate the complex regulatory mechanisms of epigenetic control in cold responses in horticultural crops, providing a theoretical foundation for developing novel strategies to control quality decline in horticultural crops.