AbstractmOver a period of 3 years, the essential volatile compounds of several strawberry varieties were analysed by gas chromatography, gas chromatography-olfactometry and mass spectrometry. In general, a strong variability in the dependence of the amount of these compounds on the ripening stage, climate and location was found, nevertheless, the key compounds of the aroma showed typical, genetically determined basic patterns. The quantification of the key aroma compounds in cultivated and wild strawberries resulted in a definition of aroma types which corresponded with the sensory evaluation. These aroma types can be used to establish a criterion for the selection of quality in strawberry breeding.

Plant breeders are interested in strawberry species as donors of volatile compounds in breeding programmes because of the diversity and intensity of wild strawberry aroma. Therefore, the topic of this paper is the prospective analysis of four accessions of four wild strawberry accessions in comparison to a standard cultivar of Fragaria · ananassa Duch. by using human sensory, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) and gas chromatographyolfactometry (GCO). The wild species have higher aroma intensities compared with the cultivated one. The flavour quality differs significantly. Semiquantitative GC analysis revealed that F. · ananassa cv. 'Elsanta' has the lowest content of volatile compounds whereas Fragaria moschata L. 'Cotta' has the highest. The aroma impressions, measured by GCO, support the findings of GCMS analyses. The nasal impact frequency (NIF)-profiles of the wild types are more manifold and of higher intensities than those of the cultivated F. · ananassa cv. 'Elsanta' which corresponds with the overall flavour impression when tasting the fresh fruits.

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The strawberry, with its unique aroma, is one of the most popular fruits worldwide. The demand for specific knowledge of metabolism in strawberries is increasing. This knowledge is applicable for genetic studies, plant breeding, resistance research, nutritional science, and the processing industry. The molecular basis of strawberry aroma has been studied for more than 80 years. Thus far, hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOC) have been identified. The qualitative composition of the strawberry volatilome remains controversial though considerable progress has been made during the past several decades. Between 1997 and 2016, 25 significant analytical studies were published. Qualitative VOC data were harmonized and digitized. In total, 979 VOC were identified, 590 of which were found since 1997. However, 659 VOC (67%) were only listed once (single entries). Interestingly, none of the identified compounds were consistently reported in all of the studies analyzed. The present need of data exchange between "omic" technologies requires high quality and robust metabolic data. Such data are unavailable for the strawberry volatilome thus far. This review discusses the divergence of published data regarding both the biological material and the analytical methods. The VOC extraction method is an essential step that restricts interlaboratory comparability. Finally, standardization of sample preparation and data documentation are suggested to improve consistency for VOC quantification and measurement.