Blue and UV-B light supplementation enhances desirable volatile organic compounds: Implications for improving flavor...

Understanding the impact of spectral quality on Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) profiles can help optimize production strategies to enhance tomato flavor, particularly in controlled environments. This study is the first of its kind to investigate the impact of supplemental blue, UV-B, or their combination (B + UV-B) on the flavor chemistry of greenhouse-grown tomatoes, based on the biochemical origins of VOCs, and to identify volatile biomarkers. The results revealed that UV-B and B + UV-B significantly increased the levels of desirable green, fruity, floral, and tomato-vine-like volatiles, including 2-isobutylthiazole, benzeneacetaldehyde, hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one, and geranylacetone, while suppressing the production of undesirable pungent VOCs, 2-methoxyphenol and eugenol. Multivariate analyses identified benzaldehyde, benzeneacetaldehyde, and 2-isobutylthiazole as the potential biomarkers for blue, B + UV-B, and UV-B exposure, respectively. The findings suggest that targeted light supplementation can potentially enhance the sensory quality and consumer acceptance of tomatoes by increasing the production of desirable flavor compounds.