title: Chemodiversity in the fingerprint analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of 35 old and 7 modern apple cultivars determined by proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) in two different seasons.
abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemical species that play an important role in determining the characteristic aroma and flavor of fruits. Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) cultivars differ in their aroma and composition of VOCs. To determine varietal differences in the aroma profiles, VOCs emitted by 7 modern and 35 old apple cultivars were analyzed using Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS). PTR-MS is a rapid, reproducible, and non-destructive spectrometric technique for VOC analysis of single fruits, developed for direct injection analysis. In the present study, we analyzed the differences in the emission of VOCs from single fruits at harvest and after a storage period of 60±10 days, followed by 3 d of shelf life. Our results show that VOC profile differences among apple cultivars were more pronounced after storage than at harvest. Furthermore, chemodiversity was higher in old cultivars compared to modern cultivars, probably due to their greater genetic variability. Our data highlight the importance of storage and shelf life are crucial for the development of the typical aroma and flavor of several apple cultivars. The validity of the method is demonstrated by comparison of two different harvest years.
authors.affiliation: Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Laimburg 6 - Pfatten (Vadena), IT-39040 Auer (Ora), BZ, (phone: +39 0471 969510; fax: +39 0471 969599).|Laboratory of Food Analysis, Provincial Environment Agency, Amba Alagi Street 5, IT-39100 Bolzano (Bozen).
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciesa
authors.affiliation: Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Laimburg 6 - Pfatten (Vadena), IT-39040 Auer (Ora), BZ, (phone: +39 0471 969510; fax: +39 0471 969599).
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Höller
authors.affiliation: Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Laimburg 6 - Pfatten (Vadena), IT-39040 Auer (Ora), BZ, (phone: +39 0471 969510; fax: +39 0471 969599).
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.affiliation: Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Laimburg 6 - Pfatten (Vadena), IT-39040 Auer (Ora), BZ, (phone: +39 0471 969510; fax: +39 0471 969599).
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Laimburg 6 - Pfatten (Vadena), IT-39040 Auer (Ora), BZ, (phone: +39 0471 969510; fax: +39 0471 969599).|Department of Conservation, Promotion of Education, German Culture and Museums, Autonomous Province of Bolzano (Bozen), Andreas Hofer Street 18, IT-39100 Bolzano (Bozen).
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dalla Via
authors.affiliation: Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Laimburg 6 - Pfatten (Vadena), IT-39040 Auer (Ora), BZ, (phone: +39 0471 969510; fax: +39 0471 969599). michael.oberhuber@provinz.bz.it.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oberhuber
mesh_terms: D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D027845:Malus / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011522:Protons; D012621:Seasons; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: Apple cultivars; Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS); Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)