Comparative analysis of nutrition quality and volatile compounds in mature European and Asian red pears

Red pear is popular due to its bright colors and nutritional benefits. At present, there are few studies on the difference in quality characteristics between European and Asian red pears. The findings revealed that European red pears were distinguished by elevated sugar and acid levels, high concentrations of total phenolics and flavonoids, and vivid red coloration. The vivid red coloration was primarily attributable to the substantial amassment of cyanidin. In the pulp and peel of 10 red pear varieties, 43 and 51 volatile compounds were detected, respectively. Partial least squares discriminant analysis and correlation network analysis results indicated that Acetate esters were the primary contributors to the aroma differences between European and Asian red pear. Also, esters exhibited the strongest correlation with sugar and organic acid. This research offers insights into the quality attributes of diverse red pear varieties, potentially enhancing elite red pear germplasm resources.