The effect of high CO2 treatment on targeted metabolites of 'Seolhyang' strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) fruits during cold storage

'Seolhyang' strawberries are popular in Asian markets owing to their bright-red color and desirable flavor. However, Seolhyang strawberries have a fragile outer layer and a short shelf-life. Therefore, 'Seolhyang' strawberries are often treated with CO2 to prolong their shelf-life. However, the effects of high CO2 treatment on the quality of Seolhyang strawberries are unclear. Herein, the effects of a short-term high CO2 treatment on the decay rate, firmness, color, targeted metabolite profile, and antioxidant activity of Seolhyang strawberries in two ripening stages (i.e., half-red and bright-red) were investigated during a 9-day cold storage period. Targeted metabolites (i.e., sugars, organic acids, and anthocyanins) were investigated using HPLC and/or UHPLC-qTOF. CO2-treated strawberries exhibited lower (although not significantly) decay rates than untreated strawberry samples. The bright-red samples contained higher levels of anthocyanins than the half-red samples, regardless of CO2 treatment, during storage. High CO2-treated half-red and bright-red strawberries exhibited firmness, color, and metabolite profiles similar to those of their controls at the final storage time. Interestingly, CO2-treated half-red strawberry samples showed higher antioxidant activity than the control. Thus, CO2 treatment may prolong the shelf-life of Seolhyang strawberries without loss of quality based on improving their targeted metabolite profiles and antioxidant activity.