Comparative volatile profiling of peach and nectarine cultivars and local genotypes using HS-SPME-GC-MS

Fruit aroma in peach (Prunus persica L.) and nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) is influenced by volatile compounds originating from lipid oxidation, ester biosynthesis, and aromatic metabolic pathways. This study compared six peach cultivars and local genotypes (‘Glohaven’, ‘Cresthaven’, ‘J.H. Hale’, ‘Şentürk’, ‘Black Abdos’, and ‘Sırrı’) and five nectarine materials (three ‘Bayramiç Beyazı’ types, ‘Extreme Red’, and ‘Sweet Lady’) collected in Çanakkale Province, Türkiye. Volatile profiling using HS-SPME-GC-MS revealed considerable variation in the relative abundance and distribution of volatile compounds among the evaluated materials. C6 aldehydes and alcohols accounted for 69.99% of the total relative peak area in ‘Glohaven’, including n-hexanal, trans-2-hexenal, 2,4-hexadienal, trans-3-hexenol, cis-3-hexenol, and trans-2-hexenol. Benzaldehyde was particularly abundant in ‘Cresthaven’ (63.91%) and ‘J.H. Hale’ (55.38%). Among the local peach genotypes, ‘Black Abdos’ and ‘Sırrı’ exhibited 22 and 33 recorded volatile compound entries, respectively. γ-Decalactone was detected in both genotypes, accounting for 1.09% and 1.56% of their respective volatile profiles. Exploratory threshold-weighted indices calculated for six selected compounds using relative GC-MS peak areas and literature-reported odor thresholds revealed differences in their normalized rankings among cultivars and genotypes. Since these calculations were based on uncalibrated relative peak areas and a limited selection of compounds, the resulting indices were considered preliminary comparative estimates rather than definitive measures of sensory impact. The findings demonstrate considerable variation in volatile composition among peach and nectarine cultivars and genotypes, highlighting the potential value of local genetic resources for aroma-related fruit quality characterization and future breeding programs.