Effects of gamma irradiation on the sensory and metabolic profiles of two peach cultivars

PIERONI, VICTORIA; OTTAVIANO, FERNANDA GUGOLE; SOSA, MIRIAM; GABILONDO, JULIETA; BUDDE, CLAUDIO; COLLETTI, ANALÍA C.; DENOYA, GABRIELA; POLENTA, GUSTAVO; BUSTAMANTE, CLAUDIA; MÜLLER, GABRIELA; PACHADO, JOSÉ; ANDRES, SILVINA C.; CARDINAL, PAULA; RODRIGUEZ, GRACIELA; GARITTA, LORENA

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Año: 2023

0022-5142

This study aimed to investigate the effects of gamma irradiation on the sensory and metabolic profiles of minimally processed peaches from two different cultivars, ‘Forastero’ (FT) and ‘Ruby Prince’ (RP), and evaluate the relationship between both profiles. Peaches from each cultivar were sliced, packaged, and divided into two groups: one of them received no additional treatment (K), and the other was subjected to gamma irradiation (1.0 kGy - I), making up a total of four samples (FTK, FTI, RPK, and RPI). The sensory profile was carried out by an assessor panel. Metabolite analysis was accomplished by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Irradiation significantly affected color, homogeneity, peach aroma, total flavor intensity, peach flavor, sweetness, and juiciness in FT, increasing their intensities. In the RP cultivar, irradiation increased brightness, total aroma intensity, peach aroma, and flavor and texture descriptors. Regarding the metabolites, only malic acid and sucrose increased their concentrations in the irradiated samples. Partial least squares showed that RPI was mainly characterized by peach aroma, total flavor intensity, and bitter flavor, and, to a lesser extent, by sucrose, total aroma intensity, sweet, and peach flavor. FTI was characterized by total aroma intensity, sweet, bitter, and peach flavor, and sucrose and to a lesser extent, by the peach aroma and total flavor intensity. The results show that the applied dose accelerated the ripening process of the peach slices. The study highlights the importance of complementing the sensory analysis with metabolomics tools to optimize fruit quality in peach minimally processed