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Long-term postharvest aroma evolution of tomatoes with the alcobaça (alc) mutation

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Abstract

The postharvest evolution of Penjar tomatoes has been studied in four accessions representative of the variability of the varietal type. The long-term shelf life of these materials, which carry the alc allele, was confirmed with 31.2–59.1% of commercial fruits after 6 months of effective conservation at room temperature and a limited loss of weight (21.1–27.9%). Aroma in Penjar tomatoes is differentiated from other tomato varieties by a characteristic ‘sharp-floral’ aroma descriptor. The evolution of the ‘sharp-floral’ aroma during postharvest showed a peak of intensity at 2 months of postharvest, though in one accession a delay of 2 months in this response was detected. Out of 25 volatiles analysed, including main and background notes, a reverse iPLS variable selection revealed that the main candidates behind this aromatic behaviour are α-terpineol, trans-2-hexenal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, trans-2-octenal, α-pinene, β-ionone, 2 + 3-methylbutanol and phenylacetaldehyde. Between harvest and 2 months postharvest, most compounds reduced considerably their concentration, while the intensity of the ‘sharp-floral’ descriptor increased, which means that probably there is a rearrangement of the relative concentrations among volatiles that may lead to masking/unmasking processes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentació de la Comunidad Valenciana, the Fundación de la Comunidad Valenciana para la Investigación Agroalimentaria (AGROALIMED) and from the Departament d’Agricultura, Alimentació i Acció Rural (DAR) de la Generalitat de Catalunya.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament d’Enginyeria Agroalimentària i Biotecnologia, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/Esteve Terrades 8, Campus del Baix Llobregat, 08860, Castelldefels, Spain

    Joan Casals & Francesc Casañas

  2. Instituto Universitario de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Cno. de Vera, s.n., 46022, València, Spain

    Jaime Cebolla-Cornejo & Fernando Nuez

  3. Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del Medio Natural, Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, 12071, Castellón, Spain

    Salvador Roselló

  4. Instituto Universitario de Plaguicidas y Aguas (IUPA), Universitat Jaume I, Campus de Riu Sec, 12071, Castellón, Spain

    Joaquim Beltrán

Authors
  1. Joan Casals
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  2. Jaime Cebolla-Cornejo
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  3. Salvador Roselló
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  4. Joaquim Beltrán
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  5. Francesc Casañas
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  6. Fernando Nuez
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Correspondence to Fernando Nuez.

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Casals, J., Cebolla-Cornejo, J., Roselló, S. et al. Long-term postharvest aroma evolution of tomatoes with the alcobaça (alc) mutation. Eur Food Res Technol 233, 331–342 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-011-1517-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-011-1517-6

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