Fruit quality is a key driver for consumers. Therefore, it is important to optimize product quality throughout the supply chain. Quality can be assessed visually through fruit colour and firmness, while sensorial analyses provide data on aroma, sweetness and acidity. However, fingerprinting the volatilome (the volatile organic compound (VOC) profile) combined with global analyses of gene expression profiles, through next generation sequencing, are useful tools for objective quality assessment. These can provide data related to the cultivar, and its growth location and post-harvest treatments. Peach (Prunus persica (L. Batsch) fruits deteriorate rapidly at ambient temperature therefore cold storage is widely used to delay post-harvest ripening of the fruit, however they also suffer from cold stress. Here, the volatilome of one peach (cv. Sagittaria) and one nectarine (cv Big Top) was analysed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS). In parallel RNA-sequence transcriptomics was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with VOC metabolism. Fruits were analysed at harvest, and after 1, 5, 7 and 14 days of storage at 1°C. We identified 159 and 89 VOCs from cv. Sagittaria, and cv. Big Top fruit respectively. VOC profiles showed discrimination both between the cultivars and amongst post-harvest storage periods, when analysed using Canonical Analysis of Principal coordinates (CAP). Sensory evaluation supported results from the volatilome. Gene expression analysis of VOC-related genes also showed a good correlation with changes in VOCs profiles. Overall Omics data from VOC profiles and gene expression, may be of value to breeders in their selection of specific traits relating to aroma and post-harvest resilience. These technologies can also have a potential value throughout the supply chain in developing objective diagnostic tests to monitor quality from producer to consumer.
Volatilome fingerprinting, transcriptomics and sensorial analysis of peach cultivars during cold storage: A multi-trait approach to identify predictive markers of food quality
Maria Beatrice Bitonti;Damiana Spadafora
Ultimo
2019
Abstract
Fruit quality is a key driver for consumers. Therefore, it is important to optimize product quality throughout the supply chain. Quality can be assessed visually through fruit colour and firmness, while sensorial analyses provide data on aroma, sweetness and acidity. However, fingerprinting the volatilome (the volatile organic compound (VOC) profile) combined with global analyses of gene expression profiles, through next generation sequencing, are useful tools for objective quality assessment. These can provide data related to the cultivar, and its growth location and post-harvest treatments. Peach (Prunus persica (L. Batsch) fruits deteriorate rapidly at ambient temperature therefore cold storage is widely used to delay post-harvest ripening of the fruit, however they also suffer from cold stress. Here, the volatilome of one peach (cv. Sagittaria) and one nectarine (cv Big Top) was analysed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS). In parallel RNA-sequence transcriptomics was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with VOC metabolism. Fruits were analysed at harvest, and after 1, 5, 7 and 14 days of storage at 1°C. We identified 159 and 89 VOCs from cv. Sagittaria, and cv. Big Top fruit respectively. VOC profiles showed discrimination both between the cultivars and amongst post-harvest storage periods, when analysed using Canonical Analysis of Principal coordinates (CAP). Sensory evaluation supported results from the volatilome. Gene expression analysis of VOC-related genes also showed a good correlation with changes in VOCs profiles. Overall Omics data from VOC profiles and gene expression, may be of value to breeders in their selection of specific traits relating to aroma and post-harvest resilience. These technologies can also have a potential value throughout the supply chain in developing objective diagnostic tests to monitor quality from producer to consumer.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
