Abstract
Strawberry is one of the most valued fruit worldwide. Modern cultivated varieties (Fragaria × ananassa) exhibit large fruits, with intense color and prolonged shell life. Yet, these valuable traits were attained at the cost of the intensity and the variety of the aroma of the berry, two characteristics highly appreciated by consumers. Wild species display smaller fruits and reduced yield compared with cultivated varieties but they accumulate broader and augmented blends of volatile compounds. Because of the large diversity and strength of aromas occurring in natural and domesticated populations, plant breeders regard wild strawberries as important donors of novel scented molecules. Here we report a comprehensive metabolic map of the aroma of the wild strawberry Profumata di Tortona (PdT), an ancient clone of F. moschata, considered as one of the most fragrant strawberry types of all. Comparison with the more renowned woodland strawberry Regina delle Valli (RdV), an aromatic cultivar of F. vesca, revealed a significant enrichment in the total level of esters, alcohols and furanones and a reduction in the content of ketones in in the aroma of PdT berries. Among esters, particularly relevant was the enhanced accumulation of methyl anthranilate, responsible for the intensive sweetish impression of wild strawberries. Interestingly, increased ester accumulation in PdT fruits correlated with enhanced expression of the Strawberry Alcohol Acyltransferase (SAAT) gene, a key regulator of flavor biogenesis in ripening berries. We also detected a remarkable 900-fold increase in the level of mesifurane, the furanone conferring the typical caramel notes to most wild species.
Highlights
Garden strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) are among the most appreciated fruits and represent a valuable economic crop with a global annual production that exceeds 4.5 Mt (FAOSTAT, 2014)
Both strawberries were grown in the production area of Tortona (Italy) under commercial conditions, to the standards adopted by the “Consorzio per la valorizzazione e la tutela della Fragola Profumata di Tortona.”
GC-MS data obtained from individual biological and technical replicas were analyzed using the Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogies (SIMCA) based on the models relative to the two genotypes built with the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) (Svante and Michael, 1977)
Summary
Garden strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) are among the most appreciated fruits and represent a valuable economic crop with a global annual production that exceeds 4.5 Mt (FAOSTAT, 2014). The sensory quality of traded strawberries is often criticized, as they lack flavor and fragrance. Sensory perceptions originate from the combination of sweetness, texture and aroma (Christensen, 1983). Among these features, aroma remains the most valued quality indicator for consumers worldwide (Azodanlou et al, 2003; Colquhon et al, 2012). Just as in other fruits, strawberry’s aroma is a complex blend of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds only represent 0.001 to 0.01% of the berry fresh weight but have a major effect on its flavor and fragrance (Buttery, 1983). The reduced fragrance of most garden strawberries derives from the relatively limited accumulation of esters molecules, frequently combined with an excess of lactones, which usually cause a disproportionate peach note
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
