Sensory Quality Evaluation of Korla Pear from Different Orchards and Analysis of Their Primary and Volatile Metabolites

Abstract

Metabolites play vital roles in shaping the quality of fresh fruit. In this study, Korla pear fruit harvested from twelve orchards in South Xinjiang, China, were ranked in sensory quality by fuzzy logic sensory evaluation for two consecutive seasons. Then, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to determine the primary metabolites and volatile compounds. Sensory evaluation results showed that the panelists were more concerned about ‘mouth feel’ and ‘aroma’ than about ‘fruit size’, ‘fruit shape’ and ‘peel color’. In total, 20 primary metabolites and 100 volatiles were detected in the pear fruit. Hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, nonanal, d-limonene, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate and hexyl acetate were identified as the major volatile compounds. Correlation analysis revealed that l-(+)-tartaric acid, hexanoic acid, trans-limonene oxide and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate were negatively correlated with sensory scores. Furthermore, OPLS-DA results indicated that the fruit from three orchards with lower ranks in quality could be distinguished from other samples based on the contents of l-(+)-tartaric acid and other eight metabolites, which were all associated with ‘mouth feel’ and ‘aroma’. This study reveals the metabolites that might be closely associated with the sensory quality attributes of Korla pear, which may provide some clues for promoting the fruit quality in actual production.