title: Quality evaluation and prediction of Citrullus lanatus by 1H NMR-based metabolomics and multivariate analysis.
abstract: (1)H NMR spectrometry in combination with multivariate analysis was considered to provide greater information on quality assessment over an ordinary sensory testing method due to its high reliability and high accuracy. The sensory quality evaluation of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) was carried out by means of (1)H NMR-based metabolomics. Multivariate analyses by partial least-squares projections to latent structures-discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) and PLS-regression offered extensive information for quality differentiation and quality evaluation, respectively. The impact of watermelon and rootstock cultivars on the sensory qualities of watermelon was determined on the basis of (1)H NMR metabolic fingerprinting and profiling. The significant metabolites contributing to the discrimination were also identified. A multivariate calibration model was successfully constructed by PLS-regression with extremely high reliability and accuracy. Thus, (1)H NMR-based metabolomics with multivariate analysis was considered to be one of the most suitable complementary techniques that could be applied to assess and predict the sensory quality of watermelons and other horticultural plants.
authors.affiliation: Nara Prefectual Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Support Corporation, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Lucksanaporn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tarachiwin
authors.forename: Osawa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Masako
authors.forename: Eiichiro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fukusaki
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D029773:Citrullus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005638:Fruit; D016014:Linear Models; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008660:Metabolism; D012677:Sensation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity