Location-Dependent Variation in Volatile Composition of Pineapple Melon (Cucumis melo var.) Cultivated in the Mediterranean Region of Türkiye

The present study investigated the influence of cultivation site on the volatile composition and basic physicochemical properties of pineapple melon (Cucumis melo) grown in four Mediterranean locations of Türkiye (Hatay–Kırıkhan, Osmaniye–Kadirli, Adana-1, and Adana-2). Volatile compounds were extracted using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Total soluble solids (TSS) and pH values were also determined.Volatile profiles were predominantly composed of alcohols and esters, with variable contributions from aldehydes and ketones. A pronounced location-dependent restructuring of major chemical classes was observed. Alcohols were dominant in Kırıkhan (60.84%) and Adana-2 (51.55%), whereas esters predominated in Adana-1 (53.16%) and Kadirli (50.12%). Aldehydes were particularly elevated in Kadirli samples (20.69%), while ketones were detected in Kırıkhan (5.99%), Adana-1 (4.52%) and Adana-2 (2.19%). Additionally, acid was detected only in Adana-2 (9.69%) location. TSS values ranged from 5.3 to 10.1 °Brix and pH values varied between 5.87 and 6.23 among locations.The results indicate that the volatile structure of pineapple melon is not fixed chemically but shows high environmental plasticity. This research offers compositional proof that geographical context alone can alter the dominance hierarchy among major volatile classes, thus aiding in a better understanding of spatial variability in forming melon aromas under Mediterranean growing conditions.