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

PIERONI VICTORIA; GULONE OTTAVIANO F; SOSA MIRIAM; GABILONDO JULIETA; BUDDE CLAUDIO; COLLETTI ANALIA; DENOYA GABRIELA; POLENTA GUSTAVO; BUSTAMANTE CLAUDIA; MULLER GABRIELA; PACHADO JOSE; ANDRÉS S C; CARDINAL PAULA; RODRIGUEZ GRACIELA; GARITTA LORENA

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2023 vol. 103 p. 6362 - 6372

BACKGROUND: The suitability of commercial peaches for minimal processing (MP) is limited, mainly due to shortened shelf-life.Gamma irradiation has emerged in MP fruits as a promising technology. This study aimed to investigate the effects of gamma irradiation on the sensory and metabolic profiles of MP peaches from two cultivars – ‘Forastero’ (FT) and ‘Ruby Prince’ (RP) – and evaluatethe relationship between both profiles. MP peaches were packaged and divided into two groups: one without additional treatment(K) and the other subjected to gamma irradiation (1.0 kGy, I- irradiation treatment), making a total of four samples (FTK, FTI, RPKand RPI). The sensory profile was carried out by an assessor panel. Metabolite analysis was accomplished by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.RESULTS: 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, andflavor and texture descriptors. Regarding metabolites, only malic acid and sucrose increased their concentrations in the irradiatedsamples. Partial least squares showed that sucrose was mainly correlated with sweet, total aroma intensity and peach flavors, andlinked with FTI sample. Bitter along with peach aroma and total intensity flavor were associated with RPI sample.CONCLUSION: The applied dose accelerated the ripening process of the peach. The study highlights the importance of complementing sensory analysis with metabolomics tools to optimize fruit quality in minimally processed peaches.