Effect of methyl salicylate and methyl jasmonate pre-treatment on the volatile profile in tomato fruit subjected to chilling temperature

• Light chilling reduced volatile production in tomato without visual chilling injury.
• Methyl salicylate alleviated chilling induced reduction of volatiles in tomatoes.
• Panelists recognized the aroma improvement in chilled tomatoes by methyl salicylate.
• Methyl jasmonate showed little effect on volatile production in tomatoes.

Tomato fruits exposed to chilling temperatures suffer aroma loss prior to visual chilling injury (CI) symptoms. Methyl salicylate (MeSA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments were reported to alleviate the development of visual CI; however, it is unknown if the treatments alleviate internal CI in the form of aroma loss. In this research, ‘FL 47’ tomatoes at breaker stage were treated with MeSA or MeJA vapor prior exposure to chilling temperature. The chilling treatment did not result in visual CI; however, for internal CI it generally suppressed production of oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds, ketones, sulfur- and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, alcohols, and aldehydes, including 13 important aroma contributors to tomato fruit. MeJA had no impact on sensory evaluation in spite of resulting in slightly altered volatile profile; however, MeSA alleviated the CI-induced reduction of a number of volatile compounds, and thereby enhanced tomato aroma.