Peaches (Prunus persica cv. Yanhong) were fumigated with carbon monoxide (CO) at 0, 0.5, 5, 10, and 20？μmol/L for 2 hours. The result showed that low concentration CO (0.5–10？μmol/L) might delay the decrease of firmness and titrable acid content, restrain the increase of decay incidence, and postpone the variation of soluble solids content, but treating peaches with high concentration CO (20？μmol/L) demonstrated adverse effects. Further research exhibited that exogenous CO could induce the phenylalnine ammonialyase activity, maintain nutrient contents such as Vitamin C, total flavonoid, and polyphenol, and enhance antioxidant activity according to reducing power and 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl radical scavenging activity. Treating peaches with appropriate concentration CO was beneficial to the quality, nutrients, and antioxidant activity of postharvest peaches during storage time. Therefore, CO fumigation might probably become a novel method to preserve postharvest peach and other fruits in the future. 1. Introduction Peach is one of the most well-liked fruits in the world because of their flavor, dietary value, attractive color, and medicinal worth. It is enriched with ascorbic acid, flavonoid, and phenolic compounds, which were considered prime sources for antioxidants [1, 2]. However, peaches have a very short shelf life because they are highly susceptible to pathogenic infection and physiological deterioration during storage time under ambient temperature. Cold storage remains the main method to slow the product deterioration in terms of consumer perception and nutritional value. However, low temperature results in chilling injury symptoms in some peach cultivars during or after cold storage [3, 4]. Chemical treatments have been used to prevent insect attack and prolong shelf life of postharvest peach. However, the use of chemicals has been minimized for food safety and environmental reasons. Many physical methods including modified atmosphere packaging, heat, and UV-C pretreatments are being extensively studied as substitutes for current chemical methods in the commercial applications of peach [5–8]. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a simple diatomic gas molecule with low water solubility. It easily combines hemoglobin, thus delaying oxygen transport and leading to death of organisms. So in the past, it was considered a toxic gas to environment and biology. However, recent researchers found that, similar to NO and H2S, CO might serve as a gaseous signal molecule to involve in stomata close regulated by plant guard cell and the formation
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