Articles
The interplay among sensory attributes, food safety, bioactives, and genetics in melons
Article number
1411_23
Pages
221 – 230
Language
English
Abstract
Melons (Cucumis melo L.) are widely cultivated fruit within the Cucurbitaceae family and exhibit considerable phenotypic and genetic diversity.
These fruits are prized for their refreshing aroma and sensory attributes, including melon type, overall sweetness, musty earthiness, honey-like flavor, greenness, and fermented notes.
They are also rich in beneficial compounds such as carotenoids, amino acids, and vitamins, which contribute to their potential human health benefits, particularly through their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.
The production and accumulation of bioactive compounds in melon fruits are influenced by multiple factors, including genetic makeup, growing conditions, the presence of pathogens, crop management practices, and pre-and postharvest conditions.
Persistent breeding efforts have led to the development of improved melon cultivars, hybrids, and cultivars with enhanced shelf life, yield, flavor, and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses.
In this study, we employed optimized sample preparation methods in conjugation with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to analyze bioactive compounds in different commercial melon cultivars and newly developed hybrids cultivated across various locations in the United States.
Our GC-MS findings revealed that the newly developed hybrids and commercial cultivars are rich sources of volatile compounds, particularly esters, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, sulfur-containing compounds, and hydrocarbons.
Additionally, HPLC analysis indicated elevated levels of non-volatile compounds, including β-carotene, γ-aminobutyric acid, and glutamine, in all the analyzed melon fruits.
Multivariate analyses uncovered significant differences among similar cultivars/hybrids harvested from different locations, indicating the influence of growing conditions on the composition of melon fruits.
These fruits are prized for their refreshing aroma and sensory attributes, including melon type, overall sweetness, musty earthiness, honey-like flavor, greenness, and fermented notes.
They are also rich in beneficial compounds such as carotenoids, amino acids, and vitamins, which contribute to their potential human health benefits, particularly through their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.
The production and accumulation of bioactive compounds in melon fruits are influenced by multiple factors, including genetic makeup, growing conditions, the presence of pathogens, crop management practices, and pre-and postharvest conditions.
Persistent breeding efforts have led to the development of improved melon cultivars, hybrids, and cultivars with enhanced shelf life, yield, flavor, and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses.
In this study, we employed optimized sample preparation methods in conjugation with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to analyze bioactive compounds in different commercial melon cultivars and newly developed hybrids cultivated across various locations in the United States.
Our GC-MS findings revealed that the newly developed hybrids and commercial cultivars are rich sources of volatile compounds, particularly esters, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, sulfur-containing compounds, and hydrocarbons.
Additionally, HPLC analysis indicated elevated levels of non-volatile compounds, including β-carotene, γ-aminobutyric acid, and glutamine, in all the analyzed melon fruits.
Multivariate analyses uncovered significant differences among similar cultivars/hybrids harvested from different locations, indicating the influence of growing conditions on the composition of melon fruits.
Publication
Authors
J. Singh, R. Metrani, K.M. Crosby, J.L. Jifon, S. Ravishankar, B.S. Patil
Keywords
Cucumis melo, Cucurbitaceae, GC-MS, HPLC, volatile
Groups involved
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