Plant growth regulators associated to the biosynthesis of aroma volatile compounds in climacteric and non-climacteric fruits

• Grant number: 13/09303-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: March 01, 2014 - February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Purgatto
• Grantee: Eduardo Purgatto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Luciano Freschi

Abstract

The aroma is one of several quality attributes of fruits important to consumer satisfaction and significantly influences their choice. While substances such as sugars, acids, tannins and other contribute to the taste, the volatiles with aromatic notes are responsible for the unique flavor of each fruit. Most of the volatiles derived from three kinds of precursors: carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids. The diversity of aroma compounds varies from species to species, but even among the same fruit varieties is easy to find significant differences in composition. Despite all the accumulated knowledge about the formation of aroma in fruits, the factors that regulate it, particularly during ripening, are still unclear. A significant number of evidences has pointed ethylene as a key factor in the formation of aroma. Indeed, transgenic fruits with reduced ethylene production, despite the extension of shelf-life, present significant losses in the synthesis of volatile compounds, even under treatment with exogenous ethylene. Likewise, storage at low temperature after harvest of banana, papaya and mango fruit reduces the production of aroma compounds, even after removal to higher temperatures at which the synthesis of ethylene climacteric levels is resumed. These results point to the existence of other factors - most likely other hormones associated with ethylene - in control of the metabolic changes that promote the formation of aroma. The literature seems to indicate that, apart from ethylene, another three hormone classes represented by the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) appear to influence various aspects of ripening. The formation of aroma, however, it has been the less studied among the ripening processes in fruits submitted to treatment with hormones mentioned. In this context, the aim of this project is to evaluate the effects of the application of AIA, ABA and MJ on the aroma production in climacteric and non-climacteric fruits. The tomatoes will be used as a study model for climacteric fruits and strawberry, for non-climacteric ones. It is expected delineate not only the effects identifying pathways affected by one or more of the hormones mentioned above, but also to evaluate if the mechanisms of this influence undergo some sort of interference in ethylene biosynthesis or signaling. Additionally, when working with a climacteric and a non-climacteric fruit, it is expected to identify if the effects of hormones may share similar mechanisms of action between the two types of fruit. In the studies with strawberries, is expected to further assess the extent of the role of ethylene in the aroma formation of non-climacteric fruit. With this, the project will strengthen not only the understanding of the signaling processes involved in the regulation of biosynthesis of volatile compounds, but also support new technological applications that can circumvent some negative effects that postharvest techniques can induce in the aroma volatile metabolism during fruit ripening. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GOMES, BRUNA LIMA; FABI, JOAO PAULO; PURGATTO, EDUARDO. Cold storage affects the volatile profile and expression of a putative linalool synthase of papaya fruit. Food Research International, v. 89, n. 1, p. 654-660, NOV 2016. (13/07914-8, 13/09303-6)

MORO, LAIS; AYMOTO HASSIMOTTO, NEUZA MARIKO; PURGATTO, EDUARDO. Postharvest Auxin and Methyl Jasmonate Effect on Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.). JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION, v. 36, n. 3, p. 773-782, SEP 2017. (13/09303-6, 13/07914-8, 11/05583-9)

GOMES, BRUNA LIMA; FABI, JOAO PAULO; PURGATTO, EDUARDO. Cold storage affects the volatile profile and expression of a putative linalool synthase of papaya fruit. Food Research International, v. 89, p. 7-pg., 2016-11-01. (13/07914-8, 13/09303-6)