Changes in Volatile Compounds in Short-Term High CO[sub.2]-Treated ‘Seolhyang’ Strawberry Fruit during Cold Storage

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 27; no. 19
• Main Authors: Kim, Inhwan, Ahn, Donghee, Choi, Jeong Hee, Lim, Jeong-Ho, Ok, Gyeongsik, Park, Kee-Jai, Lee, Jihyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01.10.2022
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide; Chemical properties; Cold storage; Food; Food conservation; Measurement; Methods; Production processes; Protection and preservation; Strawberries; Volatile organic compounds; South Korea
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196599

‘Seolhyang’ strawberry is harvested before it is fully ripened and treated with CO[sub.2] to extend the shelf-life. However, the volatile changes in the ‘Seolhyang’ strawberry after short-term CO[sub.2] treatment have not been investigated, although the volatile profile is an important quality attribute. Herein, we investigated the effect of short-term high CO[sub.2] treatment on the changes in the composition of volatile compounds in ‘Seolhyang’ strawberries at two ripening stages (i.e., half-red and bright-red) during cold storage using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the effect of CO[sub.2] treatment on fruit quality with respect to the aroma was investigated. A total of 30 volatile compounds were identified. Storage increased the volatile compound concentrations, and the total concentration of volatiles in the CO[sub.2] -treated strawberries was lower than that of the untreated strawberries during storage. The production of some characteristic strawberry volatiles (e.g., 4-methoxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone) was inhibited in CO[sub.2] -treated strawberries. However, CO[sub.2] treatment helped maintain the concentrations of hexanal and 2-hexenal, which are responsible for the fresh odor in strawberries. Interestingly, CO[sub.2] treatment suppressed the production of off-odor volatiles, acetaldehyde, and hexanoic acid during strawberry storage. Thus, short-term CO[sub.2] treatment may help maintain the fresh aroma of strawberries during cold storage.