Analyzing changes in metabolite profile during postharvest ripening in Achras sapota fruits: GC-MS based metabolomics approach.
Achras sapota L. (syn. Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen) fruits are commonly known as sapodilla. The mature fruits when unripe are not edible. They are allowed to ripen at room temperature when the pulp softens and become edible. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the changes in metabolite composition during postharvest ripening over a span of 10 days following a GC-MS based metabolomics approach. The present metabolic data revealed, for the first time the composition of A. sapota fruit metabolites and changes in individual metabolite during postharvest ripening. Total 46 identified metabolites (11 sugars and sugar alcohols, 11 organic acids, 14 amino acids, 5 phenols, 4 fatty acids and 1 inorganic acid) and 20 tentatively identified compounds which showed significant differences during ripening could be detected. On the whole it appears that in spite of decrease in the level of many metabolites, a large number of amino acids and sugar alcohols increased in quantity ameliorating the fruit quality during ripening.