Insights into the Mechanism of Flavor Loss in Strawberries Induced by Two Fungicides Integrating Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis

Consumers have been complaining about
the deterioration of the
flavor of strawberries. The use of pesticides could have potential
impacts on fruit flavor but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we spayed
boscalid and difenoconazole on the small green fruit of strawberries
to investigate their effect on fruit flavor quality and the mechanism.
The results indicated that both fungicides decreased the contents
of soluble sugar and nutrients but increased acids in mature fruits,
changed the levels of volatiles, and caused oxidative damage, which
ultimately reduced the flavor quality of strawberries, and the negative
effect of boscalid was greater. Combined with transcriptome and metabolome,
boscalid altered the genes in sugar–acid metabolism (SUT, SPS, and INV), volatiles
(FaQR, FaOMT, FaLOX, and FaAAT), and amino acid synthesis pathways
and metabolites. This study elaborated on the effects of fungicides
on the flavor quality of strawberries from physiological–biochemical
and molecular levels and laid the foundation for improving the strawberry
flavor quality.