Brian Farneti

Unravel the complexity of apple aroma by PTR-ToF-

MS

The whole aroma profile may be considered as a music symphony where apparently small

differences in tones and notes can considerably change the harmony

VOCs

Volatile Organic Compounds

provide a non invasive and rapid tool for the monitoring of many metabolic and physiological processes induced, e.g., by ripening, storage and stress conditions or plant-insect interaction

Volatile Organic Compounds play an important role in the research related to fruits

and, more generally, to agroindustrial products because they are directly related to the perceived sensory quality

Odor & Flavor perception

Flavour is defined as a “complex combination of the olfactory, gustatory and trigeminal sensations perceived during tasting”.

Odor & Flavor perception

• Availability of new instrumental techniques able to compare with the sensitivity of human receptors:

- Electronic nose - Mass spectroscopy

• Availability of analytic methods: - Multivariate statistic - Neural network

Point of view and perception

Point of view and perception

Simulate the human perception

Analitycal methods: which one?

?!

Artificial system: PTR-ToF-MSProton Transfer Reaction- Time of Flight- Mass Spectrometry

Artificial system: PTR-ToF-MS

Proton Transfer ReactionH3O+ +M → MH+ + H2O

Time of Flight

<

ToF data analysis

ToF data analysis

ToF data analysis

α-Farnesene

Data mining

is applied to data sets in order to explore data and find information hidden from a naked eye.Examples: principle component analysis (PCA), clustering, regression models, classification, prediction

Data mining

is applied to data sets in order to explore data and find information hidden from a naked eye.Examples: principle component analysis (PCA), clustering, regression models, classification, prediction

Our main goalEnhance fruit quality by understanding genetic, physic and metabolic traits

GermplasmBreeding

Agricultural techniquesStorage

Our main researches on VOCs- Dynamic VOC fingerprinting of apple fruit during processing

- Effect of storage and 1-MCP on apple VOCs content- Untargeted metabolomics investigation of VOCs involved in the

development of apple superficial scald- Comprehensive VOC profiling of an apple germplasm collection- QTL analysis coupled with PTR-ToF-MS

Does the concentration profile necessarily mirror the profile of the compounds released from apple and experienced

during consumption?

Artificial chewing3D VOCs

finger printing

How does texture influence VOC release

during apple consumption?

VOCs release examples

Dynamic VOCs fingerprinting

Dynamic VOCs fingerprinting

Dynamic VOCs fingerprinting

Intact vs «chewed» apple

INTACT

CHEWED

Title: prova prova prova

Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene

Control 1-MCP Flavour

?

Experimental design

CTRL

Harvest

1-MCP

21 d14 d7 d

2 monthsFuji

Golden D.

Granny Smith

2 months

1-MCP reduces apple VOCs

CTRL

1-MCP

CTRL1-MCP

Carbonyl compounds

H 7d 14d

21d

2m

ppb

v

H 7d 14d

21d

2m

ppb

v

Ester compounds

H 7d 14d

21d

2m H 7d 14d

21d

2m

ppb

v

Genome Wide Apple Array

ppb

v

Genome Wide Apple Array GWAAv_2

Genome Wide Apple Array v_2:

~ 63 K genes in the genome~ 7 K new genes identified~ 138 K probe newly designes~ 46 K genes tested/hyb.

H C T

Esters biosynthetic pathway

Unsaturate fatty acid

LOX

C6/C9 Aldehydes

ADH

Alcohols

AAT

Esters Harv. Ctrl 1-MCP

Acetaldehyde & Ethanol synthesis

Harv. Ctrl 1-MCP Harv. Ctrl 1-MCP

Work in progressBuild a network between genes and metabolites concerning apple fruit ripening/quality as influenced by 1-MCP post-harvest treatment

Apple superficial scald

Control 1-MCP VOCs marker

?

Apple superficial scald

Control

Control

1-MCP

1-MCP

Superficial scald: VOCs

Superficial scald: VOCsFlesh

Skin

Superficial scald: VOCs

CTRL

1MCP

Superficial scald: VOCs

Superficial scald: VOCs

Validation on intact fruit

Related published articles

Apple germplasm VOCs Apple fruit samples of 190 varieties from the germplasm collection of FEM.

Apples were analyzed after 2 months of cold refrigeration (2 °C) plus one day of fruit re-equilibration at room temperature.

VOC analysis in triplicate on the headspace produced by cut apple samples left to equilibrate for two minutes inside a 250 ml jar and by artificial chewed apple samples

Apple germplasm VOCs

Apple germplasm VOCs

Apple germplasm VOCs

Esters

Alcohols

Alcohols/ Esters factor

QTL analysis of VOCs‘Fuji×Delearly’ population

LG 2

QTL analysis of VOCs

LOD profile of a set of LG_2 QTLs identified on the chromosome 2 of the ‘Fuji× Delearly’ population. On this linkage group, the functional marker Md-AAT1SSR is depicted in red text.

LG_2

Related published articles

We can understand the symphony!

Now we have to direct it!

OR

- Understand the consumer preference- Marker-assisted Breeding- Optimal growing condition- Correct ripening stage- Optimal storage condition

The TEAMGenomics research groupRiccardo Velasco, Fabrizio Costa, Alice Tadiello, Nicola Busatto, Mario Di Guardo

Volatile Compound platformFranco Biasioli, Luca Cappellin, Iuliia Khomenko

“To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of the arts.”- Henry David Thoreau

Thanks

for

your attentio

n