HS-SPME-GC/MS Metabolomic Analysis for the Comparative Evaluation between a Plum–Apricot Hybrid and Its Parents

Abstract

The “Stendesto” plumcot is the only successful Bulgarian plum–apricot hybrid having the “Modesto” apricot and the “Stanley” plum as parents. The current study reports on the metabolites and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) discovered in the three fruits. Forty-one metabolites in total, as represented by amino acids, organic acids, sugar acids and alcohols, phenolic acids, fatty acids, mono- and di-saccharides, and sterols, were identified in the samples. Additionally, sixty-five VOCs were profiled using the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis and HS-SPME technique. Among these VOCs, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, lactones, terpenoids, and benzene derivatives were the existing chemical classes. Not all metabolites were present in both apricot and plum, but the hybrid had managed to inherit all of the identified metabolites with the exception of γ-aminobutyric acid. This study is a first on the topic of plumcot fruit evaluation referencing its parental lines. Principal component (PCA) and hierarchical cluster (HCA) analyses further aided in revealing the differences and similarities between the “Stendesto” plum–apricot hybrid and its parents.