Effect of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide atmospheres on the formation of volatiles during storage of two sweet cherry cultivars

The aroma profiles of two sweet cherry cultivars Kordia and Vanda were investigated during storage at different oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and at a low temperature using solid phase microextraction gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). The most abundant aroma volatiles observed in both sweet cherry cultivars were alcohols, esters, terpenoids and aldehydes. Fifteen alcohols (but principally ethan-1-ol, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol and phenethyl alcohol) provided approximately 39% of the total volatile production and eight esters (principally (E)-2-hexenyl acetate and pentyl butyrate) were responsible for another 39% of the volatile production. Four terpenoids (principally limonene and α-linalool) were responsible for a further 15% of volatile production, and 10 aldehydes (principally (E)-2-hexenal and (E)-2-octen-1-al) were responsible for the remaining 7% of total volatile production. However, out of all the volatile compounds detected, a total of just 6 compounds (phenethyl alcohol, (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-octen-1-al, pentyl butyrate, (E)-2-hexenyl acetate and limonene) made up 80% of the total volatile production. Fruit stems remained green during all 54 days of the storage period, although one tenth of the stems slowly dessicated in each of the three controlled atmospheres. This is in marked contrast to the stems of fruit held in a regular atmosphere, which turned completely brown.