Low-temperature stress-induced aroma loss by regulating fatty acid metabolism pathway in ‘Nanguo’ pear

Low temperatures retard postharvest ripening and prolong the supply period of 'Nanguo' pears. However, quality deterioration, or more specifically, a faded aroma occurs in long-term cold-stored fruits. To understand the implicit mechanism, we analyzed the change in content of the main aroma esters and fatty acids by chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the expression patterns of the main genes in fatty acid metabolism pathways. The results showed that hexyl hexanoate disappeared completely and the content of five other aromas declined significantly in cold-stored fruit during the optimal taste period. The content of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids significantly increased and decreased, respectively in cold-stored fruit. fadD, fadE, fadJ, atoB, fabF, SCD, FAD2, LOX2S, LOX1_5 and HPL genes down-regulated in fatty acid metabolism during shelf life in the fruit after cold storage. In conclusion, the faded aroma of cold-stored fruit was mainly regulated by fatty acid metabolism pathway.