Fruitomics: The Importance of Combining Sensory and Chemical Analyses in Assessing Cold Storage Responses of Six Peach (<i>Prunus persica</i> L. Batsch) Cultivars
Antonella Muto,
Sarah R. Christofides,
Tiziana Maria Sirangelo,
Lucia Bartella,
Carsten Muller,
Leonardo Di Donna,
Innocenzo Muzzalupo,
Leonardo Bruno,
Antonio Ferrante,
Adriana A. C. Chiappetta,
Maria Beatrice Bitonti,
Hilary J. Rogers,
Natasha Damiana Spadafora
Affiliations
Antonella Muto
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Ponte P. Bucci 6b, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Sarah R. Christofides
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
Tiziana Maria Sirangelo
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Ponte P. Bucci 6b, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Lucia Bartella
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, Via Ponte P. Bucci 12c, 87036 Rende, Italy
Carsten Muller
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
Leonardo Di Donna
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, Via Ponte P. Bucci 12c, 87036 Rende, Italy
Innocenzo Muzzalupo
CREA—Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economy Analysis, Forestry and Wood Research Center, 87036 Rende, Italy
Leonardo Bruno
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Ponte P. Bucci 6b, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Antonio Ferrante
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science–Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
Adriana A. C. Chiappetta
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Ponte P. Bucci 6b, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Maria Beatrice Bitonti
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Ponte P. Bucci 6b, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Hilary J. Rogers
School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
Natasha Damiana Spadafora
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Via Ponte P. Bucci 6b, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Cold storage is used to extend peach commercial life, but can affect quality. Quality changes are assessed through the content of nutritionally relevant compounds, aroma, physical characters and/or sensorially. Here, six peach and nectarine cultivars were sampled at commercial harvest and after 7 days of 1 °C storage. A trained panel was used to evaluate sensorial characters, while carotenoids, phenolics, vitamin C, total sugars, and qualitative traits including firmness, titrable acidity and soluble solid content were integrated with volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis previously reported. The different analyses reveal interesting patterns of correlation, and the six cultivars responded differently to cold storage. Sensory parameters were correlated with 64 VOCs and seven intrinsic characters. Acidity, firmness, and 10 VOCs were strongly negatively correlated with harmony and sweetness, but positively correlated with bitterness, astringency, and crunchiness. In contrast, Brix, b-carotene, and six VOCs were positively correlated with harmony and sweetness.
