Monitoring Changes in Biochemical and Metabolite Profiles in Garlic Cloves during Storage

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Food Science
• Metabolomics

Background:

• Garlic (Allium sativum) storage is crucial for ensuring a consistent year-round supply.
• Understanding the biochemical and metabolic changes during storage is key to maintaining garlic quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different storage temperatures and cultivars on the biochemical and metabolic profiles of garlic cloves.
• To identify key metabolic pathways affected by storage conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized non-targeted and targeted metabolomics approaches.
• Analyzed changes in metabolite content and composition of garlic cloves under various storage conditions.

Main Results:

• Storage temperature and duration significantly influenced garlic's metabolic profile and nutrient content.
• At 22 °C, significant metabolic changes, primarily related to sprouting, were observed.
• Gamma-glutamyl peptides converted to flavor precursors and amino acids, altering nutrient levels.
• Garlic quality remained stable for 290 days at 0 °C, indicating prolonged dormancy.

Conclusions:

• Low-temperature storage (0 °C) effectively preserves garlic quality by maintaining dormancy.
• Metabolic profiling provides insights into the biochemical basis of garlic storage quality.
• Temperature is a critical factor controlling garlic's post-harvest metabolic fate.