The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene （1-MCP） treatment on controlling postharvest decay in Ziziphus mauritiana fruit and the possible mechanisms were investigated. The harvested “Zhongqin” Indian jujube （Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk. cv. Zhongqing） fruit were treated with 0 and 1.8 μL/L 1-MCP for 12 h respectively， and then stored at（15 ± 1） ℃. During storage， fruit decay index， disease index， activities of disease defense-related enzymes of“Zhongqin” Indian jujube， including chitinase （CHI）， β-1，3-glucanase （GLU）， phenylalanine ammonialyase （PAL） and the content of phenolics and lignin were determined. The results indicated that 1-MCP treatment had significantly lower decay index and disease index than control； CHI and GLU were rapidly synthesized at early storage which directly attack microbial cell wall together and form the first defensive line to pathogen； on the other hand PAL activities increased quickly leading the increasing phenolics and lignin content， which formed the structural barriers and the second defensive line to pathogen. These results suggest that the inhibition of postharvest disease of Indian jujube fruit by 1-MCP was related to the induction of defensive enzyme activities.