Sugars and Organic Acids in 25 Strawberry Cultivars: Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation

(1) The nutritional quality of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch) fruits, among others, is largely maintained by the presence of soluble sugars and organic acids. As the primary products of photosynthesis, they are energy depots in plants, necessary for the construction of cell constituents, but also serve as precursors of aromatic compounds and signaling molecules. (2) In this study, fruits of 25 strawberry cultivars were qualitatively and quantitatively characterized concerning individual sugars and organic acids by HPLC, FT-ICR-MS, and MS imaging analysis. In addition, the total quality index (TQI), as a novel mathematical model, was used to compare all individual parameters evaluated to obtain a quantitative single score, as an indicator of overall fruit quality. (3) Regardless of a large number of cultivars and monitored parameters that were studded, several cultivars stood out in terms of selected primary metabolites, such as 'Rumba', 'Jeny', and 'Sandra', while the latter had the best TQI score. (4) Intercultivar variations in sugars and organic acids profiles, along with other bioactive compounds, should be considered for selection of promising cultivars with improved naturally occurring nutraceutical traits. Besides the search for a pleasant taste, increased awareness of healthy nutrition resulted in heightening consumer demand for high-quality fruit.

Automated summary

In this study, the sugar and organic acid profiles of 25 strawberry cultivars were characterized using HPLC, FT-ICR-MS, and MS imaging. A novel mathematical model called TQI was used to evaluate overall fruit quality. 'Rumba', 'Jeny', and 'Sandra' cultivars stood out in terms of their primary metabolites, with 'Sandra' having the best TQI score. Considering intercultivar variations in sugar and organic acid profiles is important for selecting cultivars with improved nutraceutical traits.