Production system influences volatile biomarkers in tomato

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Food Chemistry
• Metabolomics

Background:

• High-tunnel systems are increasingly used to boost tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) yield.
• The impact of high-tunnel cultivation on tomato aroma and flavor volatiles compared to open-field production remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for tomato volatile analysis.
• To investigate the effect of high-tunnel versus open-field production systems on tomato volatile profiles using a metabolomics approach.

Main Methods:

• Optimized HS-SPME conditions (2g samples, 60°C, 45 min, DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber) for maximum volatile extraction.
• Utilized GC-MS to identify and quantify 41 volatiles from four tomato varieties.
• Applied univariate and multivariate analyses to determine the influence of production systems on volatile profiles.

Main Results:

• Identified β-damascenone as a key volatile higher in high-tunnel tomatoes.
• Found geranylacetone to be more abundant in open-field grown tomatoes.
• Established these compounds as potential biomarkers for distinguishing between high-tunnel and open-field tomato production.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first comparison of volatiles in tomatoes from high-tunnel and open-field systems.
• Results indicate that specific volatile compounds differ significantly based on cultivation method.
• Recommends adopting biomarker-specific production systems to enhance the nutritional and organoleptic qualities of tomatoes.