Intermittent warming alleviated the loss of peach fruit aroma-related esters by regulation of AAT during cold storage

Low temperature storage slows ripening and reduces decay of peach fruit, although storage life is limited due to chilling injury. Intermittent warming (IW) can be used to alleviate fruit chilling injury, however, its effect on aroma remains unknown. Yellow-fleshed peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch cv. Jinxiu) fruit (melting type) was stored at 5 °C or exposed to 20 °C for 1 d every week during storage. Changes in fruit esters, alcohol acyltransferase (AAT) activity and gene expression were investigated. Flesh browning (FB) was observed on the third day of shelf-life at 20 °C after 21 d of storage at 5 °C, while no FB was found in IW-treated fruit for up to 28 d. Significant lower ester contents were found in peach fruit with flesh browning. Expression profiles of PpAAT1 were similar to AAT activity profiles, both of which increased during shelf-life of fruit treated with IW. As precursors of esters, levels of linoleic and linolenic acids were high in IW-treated peach fruit. Treatment with IW effectively alleviated the loss of aroma-related esters associated with FB, and high levels of AAT activity and PpAAT1 expression in IW-treated peach fruit contributed to the formation of the esters.

► Intermittent warming (IW) maintained volatile esters of peach fruit in cold storage.
► Esters formation of the fruit was associated with AAT activity and gene expression.
► Polyunsaturated fatty acids were associated with generation of peach fruit esters.