Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L. cv. Mauricio) infiltrated with exogenous putrescine (at 1 mM) before storage (five days at 10°C) and then mechanically damaged (compression force of 25 N), showed higher firmness than controls and a delayed colour change. Also, the treatment was effective in reducing the damaged area and volume after compression. Putrescine treated fruits (damaged and undamaged) had a repressed ethylene emission, but damaged fruits produced higher levels of ethylene. Endogenous spermidine was at similar levels in treated fruits, both damaged and undamaged. The most significant effect was observed in damaged apricots, in which an increase in spermidine levels was observed in response to mechanical damage, whereas undamaged apricots had the lowest concentrations of this polyamine during storage.