Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl. 1912 is one of the main
fungal pathogens that infect tomato (
Solanum lycopersicum
L.) during cold storage affecting postharvest quality and
marketing. During fungal infections, fruits and fungi
release specific volatile metabolites (VM) that could alter
the fruit aroma, or could mediate resistance response in
the fruit, or they also could suggest the possible status of
fungal attack. The detection of the VM released during
the tomato-
Alternaria interaction could contribute to the
development of ecofriendly and harmless strategies for its
control. In this study, the profile of VM of fresh tomatoes
inoculated with
A. alternata, were analyzed by solid phase
microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
(SPME-GC-MS) during storage at 15 and 20 °C for 48 h,
respectively. Changes in the profile of VM were observed
between control and inoculated fruit since the first few hour
post-inoculation. Some VM (3-methyl-2-butenal, dimethyl
disulfide, 1-butenol, hexanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol acetate,
among others) were only detected in inoculated fruit, so they
appear to be synthesized by the presence of the pathogen.
Also, a marked increase of 3-methyl-1-butanol and
6-methyl-5-hepten-1-one were observed in inoculated fruit,
and they were progressive over time particularly at 20 °C.
In conclusion,
A. alternata induced changes in the profile of
volatile metabolites released by tomato fruit. Some of the
VM released during tomato-
A. alternata interaction, were
synthesized or stimulated by the fungal attack. These results
contribute to the current knowledge about the profile of VM
released during the fruit-pathogen interaction.