Abstract: Lignification is one of the main reasons for the quality deterioration of fresh-cut carrots during storage. In this study, the anti-lignification effectiveness of ethylene, activated carbon, 1-MCP, and 1-MCP combined with activated carbon for fresh-cut carrots was explored by evaluations on the firmness, total phenol content (TPC), lignin content, antioxidant activity, and the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). The results showed that 1-MCP combined with activated carbon significantly slowed the decline in firmness of fresh-cut carrots. The TPC reached 0.20 mg GAE·g⁻¹ on day 10, significantly higher than in other treatment groups (P<0.05). The antioxidant activity remained at the highest level, with DPPH free radical scavenging activity of 0.90 μmol TE·g⁻¹. The combined treatment group had significantly lower PPO (0.23 U·g⁻¹) and POD (61.08 U·g⁻¹) activities, as well as lower PAL activity (81.67 U·g⁻¹) and lignin content (65.88 mg·g⁻¹) compared to the control group (P<0.05). Results suggested that 1-MCP combined with activated carbon treatment effectively inhibited lignification and improved the storage quality of fresh-cut carrots.