Untargeted GC-Orbitrap-HRMS fingerprinting reveals tree age-dependent changes in flavor-related metabolites of Musang...

Tree age is an important preharvest factor that can influence the chemical composition and flavor attributes of fruit, yet its effect on Musang King durian (MKD) quality remains poorly understood. In this study, an untargeted metabolomics approach using gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-Orbitrap-HRMS) was employed to comprehensively profile both volatile and non-volatile metabolites in MKD fruits harvested from young (5-9 years), middle-aged (10-15 years), and old (>16 years) trees.

Multivariate analysis revealed age-dependent flavor metabolite differentiation, with principal component analysis showing distinct clustering among tree age groups, and confirmed by partial least squares discriminant analysis. Key discriminant metabolites included palatinose, α-L-galactofuranoside, levoglucosan, L-(+)-rhamnopyranose, pyroglutamic acid, galactaric acid, 8-methylnonanoic acid, d-gluconic acid, s-isopentyl propanethioate, propane-1-thiol, and propyl-1-(propylthio)ethyl disulfide. Integrative analysis further showed that fruits from old trees contained the highest total sugars, middle-aged trees had the highest total organic acids, fatty acids, and amino acids, while young trees produced fruits rich in volatiles such as sulfur compounds, esters, aldehydes, and alcohols.

These findings highlight that tree age influences the metabolite composition of MKD fruits. These metabolic differences demonstrate the potential of metabolite fingerprinting for distinguishing MKD fruits from different tree ages and supporting strategies for quality authentication. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.