METABOLISM OF NATURAL VOLATILE COMPOUNDS BY STRAWBERRY FRUIT

As part of experiments to evaluate naturally occurring volatile compou nds as fumigants to reduce microbial populations, especially pathogeni c fungi on strawberry fruit, several test compounds were found to be m etabolized by the fruit to yield additional volatile compounds. The na tural products used as fumigants comprised alcohols, aldehydes, ketone s, esters, and hydrocarbons and were tested with fruit in closed conta iners at refrigeration (2-4 degrees C) temperatures. The three princip al types of volatile metabolites formed by strawberry fruit as determi ned by GC and GC-MS analyses df headspace vapor samples were esters pr oduced from aliphatic alcohols [e.g,, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate from (Z)-3 -hexen-1-ol], alcohols formed by the reduction of aliphatic aldehydes (e.g., 1-hexanol from hexanal), and saturated products from reduction of carbon-carbon double bonds conjugated with an aldehyde or ketone ca rbonyl moiety [e.g., 2-nonanone from (E)-3-nonen-2-one]. Metabolic pat hways leading to the formation of the volatile products and applicatio ns for the metabolites are discussed.