Non-destructive aroma production of a climacteric near-isogenic line of melon obtained by headspace sorptive bar extraction technology

Abstract

A climacteric aromatic near-isogenic line (NIL) of melon (Cucumis melo L.) SC3-5-1 contained an introgression of the non-climacteric Korean cultivar \'\'Shongwan Charmi\'\' accession PI 161375 (SC) into the genetic background of the non-climacteric cultivar \'\'Piel de Sapo\'\' (PS). The aroma production was monitored during ripening at 22oC in intact fruit using headspace sorptive bar extraction (HSSE). Bars were composed by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and analysis were desorbed and aroma analysed by gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry. The aromatic profile was constituted 42 aromatic compounds with predominance of esters, particularly acetate esters (1-butanol, 2-methyl-, acetate, ethyl acetate, 1-butanol, 3-methyl-propanoate, acetic acid 2-methylpropyl ester, acetic acid, hexyl ester, acetic acid, phenylmethylester). Some compounds were severely affected by postharvest time. The acetate esters (1-butanol, 3-methyl-, acetate, acetic acid, 1-metylpropyl ester or acetic acid, phenylmethylester) decreased with ripening and sulfur-derived compounds (butanethioic acid, S-methyl or S-methyl 3-methylbutanethioate) increased gradually with ripening. Other compounds such as n-hexadecanoic acid showed a marked decrease after harvest, some declining from a relative maximum at harvest (propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, ethyl ester), or others showing an upsurge at the senescence phase (butanoic acid, 2-methyl-, ethyl ester).