The combined effect of ozone treatment and polyethylene packaging on postharvest quality and biodiversity of Toona sinensis (A.Juss.) M.Roem

•Combination of ozone and polyethylene could prolong shelf life of Toona sinensis.•Ozone could stimulate the production of Toona sinensis-like aroma during storage.•Ozone was more efficient against bacterial cells than it was against fungi.•Ozone could maintain the stability of microbial communities in Toona sinensis.•Ozone could decrease numbers of interactions between parameters of Toona sinensis. The young leaves and sprouts of the Toona sinensis (TS) are nutritious and popular in Asia, however they are highly perishable and, thus, have a short shelf life, which impacts negatively on their market performance. This study investigated the effects of ozone (OZ) and polyethylene (PE) treatments on the postharvest quality of TS during near-freezing temperature storage. The results revealed that TS subjected to OZ + PE treatment had higher levels of peroxidase, superoxidase dismutase, catalase, thiophenes, CIS, TRANS, malondialdehyde and hue angle, and lower levels of weight loss, respiration rate, ethylene production rate, total chlorophyll content, vitamin C, total plate count, coliforms, yeast and mold, and polyphenol oxidase compared to the control (CK) and PE treatments. In the next-generation sequencing analysis of TS biodiversity, microbial communities of TS treated with OZ +PE were found to differ significantly from those treated with CK and PE. The combination treatment inhibited most order bacteria, however, the fungal communities present in TS, such as orders of Dothideales, Agaricales, Erysiphales and Filobasidiales, proved resistant to OZ treatments. The results of the principal components analysis and co-occurrence network patterns further confirmed that OZ, used in combination with PE, could improve postharvest quality and extended the shelf life of TS.