Abstract
Background: Flavor is an important quality of tomato fruit. The improvement of flavor attracts more and more attention. This study aimed to explore the differences in the concentrations of nutrients and volatiles between red and pink colors of tomatoes fruit, including cherry tomato (S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme Mill) and large-fruited tomato (S. lycopersicum), respectively. Methods: Soluble sugar, titratable acids, and volatile organic compounds, were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Hedonism score and odor activity value were used to evaluate the taste and odor intensity of tomato fruit. The membership function method was used to comprehensively evaluate the fruit flavor. Results: It was found that the levels of aldehydes, ketones, esters, and phenols were significantly higher in pink tomato than in red tomato. The concentrations of ascorbic acid, soluble solids, fructose, glucose, citric acid, and carotenoid-derived volatiles were significantly greater in cherry tomato than in large-fruited tomato. However, Phe-derived and Ile/Leu-derived volatiles were significantly higher in pink large-fruited tomato and red cherry tomato. The fatty and irritant odors were stronger in pink tomato than in red tomato, and cherry tomato had better overall taste than large-fruited tomato. The sweetness and sweetness/acidity ratio were significantly higher in pink cherry tomato than other categories of tomatoes. Conclusion: The concentrations of volatiles varied greatly between pink and red tomatoes, and the levels of nutrients varied greatly between cherry and large-fruited tomatoes. This study can provide reference for tomato flavor quality improvement breeding.
A Chitosan Coating Containing Essential Oil from Origanum vulgare L. to Control Postharvest Mold Infections and Keep the Quality of Cherry Tomato Fruit