1H NMR metabolic profiles as selection tools of new mandarin cultivars based on fruit acceptability

Abstract Aqueous pulp extracts of 8 mandarin cultivars produced in Uruguay, including four commercial lines and four of their crosslinks under development, were characterized through untargeted 1H NMR-based metabolomics. The spectral features identified through this approach proved the uniqueness of each mandarin metabolome. The stability of the chemical make-up through different harvests, the evolution of the metabolome towards full fruit maturity, and the character transference from parents to their hybrids were evaluated using multivariate analysis, with the 1H NMR signals of sugars and tricarboxylic acids being the most relevant ones. The relationship between sugar sweetness power and citric acid content found in each variety correlated well with independent consumer preference tests of the mandarin cultivars under investigation. Since it is based on readily measurable chemical parameters, this chemometric model could be employed to reduce the number of samples presented to sensory panels during the early and time-consuming selection stages of new mandarin cultivars.