Metabolic reconfiguration of strawberry physiology in response to postharvest practices.

The strawberry fruit is perishable due to its high water content and soft texture, yet exhibits pleasant organoleptic and nutritional profile. Here we conducted a metabolomics-driven analysis followed by linear modelling to dissect the molecular processes in strawberry postharvest. Fruits from five cultivars were harvested and refrigerated during a ten-day period under three different atmospheres: ambient, CO-enriched and O-enriched. These analyses revealed that metabolites involved in, (i) organoleptic and nutritional properties; (ii) stress tolerance displayed duration and postharvest treatment-dependent levels. Ozone-enriched atmosphere appears to counteract postharvest negative effects, with fruits exhibiting lower levels of fermentative metabolites when compared to fruits kept in an ambient atmosphere. Furthermore, metabolic reconfiguration towards the synthesis of protective metabolites of those fruits can possibly confer enhanced tolerance to postharvest abiotic stresses. Finally, results from the linear modelling identified metabolites which could be used as biomarkers to assess strawberry quality during its postharvest shelf life.