Volatile Profiling of Kiwifruits (Actinidia deliciosa ‘Hayward’) Evaluated by HS-SPME and GC-IT/MS: Influence of Ripening, Training System and Storage

In this research, the volatile profile of Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev) C.F. Liang and A.R. Ferguson var. deliciosa cv. Hayward fresh fruits (pulp) coming from two different training systems, picked at different harvest times were characterized by HS-SPME-GC-IT/MS before and after storage. Forty-seven compounds were identified and distributed by distinct chemical classes (aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, esters, monoterpenes, norisoprenoid and hydrocarbons), with 24 being reported for the first time in this variety. The major volatiles found were: hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal and methylbutyrate. A principal component analysis showed that fruits from pergola training system are very well distinguished from those coming from T-bar training system by their abundance of monoterpenes and norisoprenoids. In general, fruits after storage have higher amounts of esters. All these results were confirmed by sensory analysis, having the T-bar kiwifruits higher notes in “pungent” descriptor, and fruits stored higher values of “ripened fruit odour” and “sweetness”.