Impact of Post-Harvest Apple Scab on Peel Microbiota, Fermentation Dynamics, and the Volatile/Non-Volatile Composition of Cider
Apple scab is a disease caused by <i>Venturia inaequalis</i>; it alters the vegetative cycle of apple trees and affects the fruits in orchards or during post-harvest storage. Utilizing rotten apples in cidermaking is a promising technique to mitigate crop losses; nonetheless, uncertainti...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Valeria Gualandri Roberto Larcher Elena Franciosi Mauro Paolini Tiziana Nardin Ilaria Pertot Raffaele Guzzon |
| author_facet | Valeria Gualandri Roberto Larcher Elena Franciosi Mauro Paolini Tiziana Nardin Ilaria Pertot Raffaele Guzzon |
| author_sort | Valeria Gualandri |
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| description | Apple scab is a disease caused by <i>Venturia inaequalis</i>; it alters the vegetative cycle of apple trees and affects the fruits in orchards or during post-harvest storage. Utilizing rotten apples in cidermaking is a promising technique to mitigate crop losses; nonetheless, uncertainties persist regarding the beneficial effects of damaged fruits. This study involves a thorough chemical analysis of cider produced from both healthy and scab-infected fruits to identify compositional changes caused by microbial proliferation and to assess their impact on cider quality. Apples infected by post-harvest apple scab, as opposed to uninfected apples, were employed in cidermaking. The peel microbiota was described by plate count, and next-generation sequencing-based metabarcoding methods were used to describe the peel microbiota, while HPLC and GC MS-MS were used to characterize the cider compositions. Apples infected with post-harvest scab host a specific fungal consortium with higher biodiversity, as evidenced by the Shannon evenness index, especially in the fungi kingdom. The presence of apple scab slows fermentation by up to 23%, lowers ethanol accumulation by up to 0.4%, and affects certain cider constituents: sugars, alcohols, amino acids, fatty acids, and esters. The statistical treatment of data relative to the chemical profile (PLS and PCA on the 31 compounds with VIP > 1) distinguishes ciders made from altered or safe fruits. Scab-infected apples can be valorized in the agri-food industry; however, microbiota alterations must not be underestimated. It is necessary to implement adequate mitigation strategies. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj-art-39d03e95722e4a1d8a869a1d721f18b02025-08-20T02:23:00ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-05-013011232210.3390/molecules30112322Impact of Post-Harvest Apple Scab on Peel Microbiota, Fermentation Dynamics, and the Volatile/Non-Volatile Composition of CiderValeria Gualandri0Roberto Larcher1Elena Franciosi2Mauro Paolini3Tiziana Nardin4Ilaria Pertot5Raffaele Guzzon6Centro di Trasferimento Tecnologico, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN, ItalyCentro di Trasferimento Tecnologico, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN, ItalyCentro di Ricerca e Innovazione, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN, ItalyCentro di Trasferimento Tecnologico, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN, ItalyCentro di Trasferimento Tecnologico, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN, ItalyCenter Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN, ItalyCentro di Trasferimento Tecnologico, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN, ItalyApple scab is a disease caused by <i>Venturia inaequalis</i>; it alters the vegetative cycle of apple trees and affects the fruits in orchards or during post-harvest storage. Utilizing rotten apples in cidermaking is a promising technique to mitigate crop losses; nonetheless, uncertainties persist regarding the beneficial effects of damaged fruits. This study involves a thorough chemical analysis of cider produced from both healthy and scab-infected fruits to identify compositional changes caused by microbial proliferation and to assess their impact on cider quality. Apples infected by post-harvest apple scab, as opposed to uninfected apples, were employed in cidermaking. The peel microbiota was described by plate count, and next-generation sequencing-based metabarcoding methods were used to describe the peel microbiota, while HPLC and GC MS-MS were used to characterize the cider compositions. Apples infected with post-harvest scab host a specific fungal consortium with higher biodiversity, as evidenced by the Shannon evenness index, especially in the fungi kingdom. The presence of apple scab slows fermentation by up to 23%, lowers ethanol accumulation by up to 0.4%, and affects certain cider constituents: sugars, alcohols, amino acids, fatty acids, and esters. The statistical treatment of data relative to the chemical profile (PLS and PCA on the 31 compounds with VIP > 1) distinguishes ciders made from altered or safe fruits. Scab-infected apples can be valorized in the agri-food industry; however, microbiota alterations must not be underestimated. It is necessary to implement adequate mitigation strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/11/2322apple scabpost-harvestciderapple microbiotacircular economyfood remediation |
| spellingShingle | Valeria Gualandri Roberto Larcher Elena Franciosi Mauro Paolini Tiziana Nardin Ilaria Pertot Raffaele Guzzon Impact of Post-Harvest Apple Scab on Peel Microbiota, Fermentation Dynamics, and the Volatile/Non-Volatile Composition of Cider Molecules apple scab post-harvest cider apple microbiota circular economy food remediation |
| title | Impact of Post-Harvest Apple Scab on Peel Microbiota, Fermentation Dynamics, and the Volatile/Non-Volatile Composition of Cider |
| title_full | Impact of Post-Harvest Apple Scab on Peel Microbiota, Fermentation Dynamics, and the Volatile/Non-Volatile Composition of Cider |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Post-Harvest Apple Scab on Peel Microbiota, Fermentation Dynamics, and the Volatile/Non-Volatile Composition of Cider |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Post-Harvest Apple Scab on Peel Microbiota, Fermentation Dynamics, and the Volatile/Non-Volatile Composition of Cider |
| title_short | Impact of Post-Harvest Apple Scab on Peel Microbiota, Fermentation Dynamics, and the Volatile/Non-Volatile Composition of Cider |
| title_sort | impact of post harvest apple scab on peel microbiota fermentation dynamics and the volatile non volatile composition of cider |
| topic | apple scab post-harvest cider apple microbiota circular economy food remediation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/11/2322 |
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