Deciphering aroma complexity between melting flesh and stony hard peach (Prunus persica L.) fruit through integrative analysis of volatile contributions

Stony hard peach is favored in production for resistance to storage and transportation, but presents a challenge of lacking fragrance compared to traditional fragrant peach i.e., melting flesh peach. Addressing this concern necessitates material composition analysis from the perspective of volatile composition and aroma characteristics. However, the complex relationship between volatile compounds and aroma profiles in melting flesh and stony hard peach cultivars remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we examined contribution of volatiles to their aroma. The application of multiple analysis methods, including distribution, odor importance, and partial least squares discriminant analysis facilitated a comprehensive understanding of the contribution of 30 volatiles to aroma; and hierarchical clustering analysis revealed relationships among the compounds within the two types of peaches. The primary differential volatiles between them were cis-3-hexenol, pentyl acetate, prenyl acetate, trans-2-hexenal, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, dihydro- β -ionone, benzaldehyde, and a range of lactones ( γ -decalactone, γ -hexalactone, γ -octalactone, δ -decalactone and γ -undecalactone). Overall, the melting flesh peach exhibited more pronounced aroma than the stony hard type. This study underscores the significance of understanding the intricate interplay between volatile compounds and aroma characteristics across cultivars with different textures, offering valuable insights into cultivar selection, flavor enhancement, and consumer preference assessment within the peach industry. • The largest number of odor-important volatiles was distributed in the volatile fatty acid derivatives group for both the melting flesh and stony hard peaches. • The primary 12 differential volatiles between the two types of peaches were identified. • Lactones predominated in delineating aroma distinctions between the melting flesh and stony hard peaches. • Totally 30 important volatile compounds epitomized aromas across the melting flesh and stony hard peaches. • The melting flesh peaches showed more pronounced aroma compared to the stony hard peaches.