Discrimination and Characterization of the Aroma Profile in Four Strawberry Varieties Cultivated Under Substrates

The strawberry is renowned for its distinctive fragrance and is regarded as one of the most popular fruits globally. This research analyzed the volatile compounds in four strawberry types grown in substrate systems, utilizing HS-GC-IMS, HS-SPME-GC-MS, and E-nose techniques. The results revealed a notable increase in the relative concentrations of alcohols, esters, and aldehydes in the strawberries. The E-nose was able to differentiate between the various strawberry varieties, but it was unable to fully identify specific aroma compounds. In contrast, the HS-GC-IMS and HS-SPME-GC-MS techniques demonstrated effectiveness in distinguishing and characterizing the different strawberry types, with OPLS-DA employed for further evaluation. By applying the variable importance in projection (VIP) method, six and seven aroma components were identified as potential biomarkers by GC-MS and GC-IMS, respectively. This study lays a scientific foundation for identifying key aromatic components in strawberries grown via substrate cultivation and offers comprehensive insights into their aromatic properties.