Exploring Plant Performance, Fruit Physicochemical Characteristics, Volatile Profiles, and Sensory Properties of Day-Neutral and Short-Day Strawberry Cultivars Grown in Texas

Abstract

To assist increasing annual acreage of Texas-grown (U.S.A.) strawberries, it is essential to select cultivars with excellent plant and fruit quality characteristics suitable to the diverse environments. This study assessed multiple traits of 10 strawberry cultivars grown under high tunnels. A significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) was observed for all traits, which possessed a wide variability of metabolites. Plant analysis (number of live plants, plant vigor, and harvest yield) indicated that the yield ranged from 226 to 431 g/plant, positively correlated to plant vigor. Fruit physicochemical characteristic analysis, including red color (absorbance at 500 nm) and taste-associated indicators [°Brix, titratable acidity (TA), and total soluble solids (TSS)/TA], showed that °Brix and TSS/TA ranged from 8.0 to 12.9 and from 9.1 to 15.3, respectively. More than 300 volatiles were identified using solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and total volatiles varied 1.5 times with high variance of individual compounds between cultivars. Descriptive sensory analysis indicated that strawberry flavor was positively associated with sensory attributes of sweetness, jammy, fruity, buttery, fresh, and creamy while negatively related to bitterness, astringency, and sourness. Partial least squares regression indicated that strawberry flavor was highly correlated with sweet taste and volatile composition. No specific relationship between these traits and day-neutral or June-bearing varieties was identified. Ideal cultivars for Texas growing conditions with superior and balanced flavor qualities were Albion, Sweet Charlie, Camarosa, Camino Real, and Chandler.

Watermelon Rind and Flesh Volatile Profiles and Cultivar Difference

“…The oven temperature was held for 1 min at 40 • C, then ramped up at 5 • C/min to 230 • C and held for 5 min. The mass spectrometer used an ionization source at 200 • C, an interface temperature of 230 • C, and a scan model over a fragment range of m/z 35-350 [31].…”

“…• C for 15 min within a SPME chamber. Volatile headspace extraction was performed by inserting and holding the SPME fiber in the sample vial headspace to a depth of 22 mm for 20 min, maintaining agitation at Extracted volatiles by the SPME fiber were thermally desorbed for 3 min into a splitless GC injection port set to 250 • C[31].…”

Sensory Profiles of 10 Cucumber Varieties Using a Panel Trained with Chemical References

“…7,11 The odor descriptors of cucumber aroma and green odor have been documented in the literature but not their taste counterparts such as green flavor, and only two studies assessed cucumber-like taste. 8,17 Overall, little is known about aroma sensory attributes in cucumber. Results from the present study on the major sensory characteristics provided more insights into the intricate attributes of cucumber sensory profiles.…”

“…Definitions and chemical references for each sensory attribute are shown in Table . Four descriptors (fresh, melon, floral, and waxy) were for the first time used to describe the aroma attribute in this study, while the remaining descriptors were also used as cucumber sensory descriptors in limited early studies. , The odor descriptors of cucumber aroma and green odor have been documented in the literature but not their taste counterparts such as green flavor, and only two studies assessed cucumber-like taste. , Overall, little is known about aroma sensory attributes in cucumber. Results from the present study on the major sensory characteristics provided more insights into the intricate attributes of cucumber sensory profiles.…”

Using texture analyzer to characterize pecan and olive oil tactile properties, compare to viscometer analysis, and link to fatty acid profile and total polyphenols

“…GC oven temperature was initially 40°C with holding for 2 min, and then ramped to 230°C at 5°C/min with 5 min holding at the final temperature. The mass spectrometer used an ionization source at 200°C, an interface temperature of 230°C, and a fragment range of 30–400 m/z with a scanning mode (Scott, Williams, Wallace, & Du, 2021). Compound identification was conducted by comparing FAME standards (Supelco 37 Component FAME Mix, Millipore Sigma, St. Louis, MO) to a mass spectral library (NIST 275.L (G1035) Library databases).…”