Short-Term CO2 Treatment of Harvested Grapes (Vitis vinifera L., cv. Trebbiano) before Partial Dehydration Affects Berry Secondary Metabolism and the Aromatic Profile of the Resulting Wine

High CO2 concentrations applied to harvested horticultural products can modify primary and secondary metabolism. This work reports the metabolic responses to short-term CO2 treatments of white-skinned grapes (cv Trebbiano) undergoing postharvest partial dehydration. The influence of CO2 treatments on the aroma profile of the derived sweet wine was also assessed. Harvested grapes were treated with gaseous CO2 (30%) or air (control) for 24 h and then dehydrated (about 45% of weight loss) before vinification. Lipophilic and phenolic compounds of grape skin and the wine aroma profile were analyzed. In CO2-treated berries, the lipophilic and phenolic compounds decreased at a reduced and faster rate, respectively, during dehydration. Aroma profile of wine from CO2-treated grapes showed a slight but significantly higher content of glycosylated C13 and terpene compounds, and a decrease/absence of free acids, vanillin derivates and other phenol volatiles. The higher content of volatile alcohols in wine from treated berries suggests that the alcoholic fermentation was triggered. CO2 application before the withering process of Trebbiano grapes affects the aroma profile of the resulting wine by altering the free:glycosylated volatiles ratio. This study provides information on the possible use of CO2 as metabolic elicitor to modulate the aroma profile of the resulting wines obtained after grape dehydration.

Effect of High CO2 Treatment and MA Packaging on Sensory Quality and Physiological-Biochemical Characteristics of Green Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) during Postharvest Storage

Green asparagus is vulnerable to thrips that carry microorganisms and cause deterioration in quality. The effects of 60% CO2 treatment, which is used to kill thrips, combined with perforated (P) or modified atmosphere (MA) packages during cold storage, on the sensory quality and physiological–biochemical characteristics of asparagus were investigated. MA packaging yielded an asparagus shelf-life five days longer than P packaging. The 60% CO2 treatment for 48 h at 4 °C packaged with MA film (CO2-48 h-4 °C-MA) showed a lower number of aerobic bacteria, yeast, and mold. Yellowing of asparagus was retarded, as shown by higher hue angle and chlorophyll content and lower chlorophyllase activity. Also, CO2-48 h-4 °C-MA treatment inhibited the reduction of soluble solids content in asparagus. Likewise, all high CO2 treatments showed lower electrolyte leakage (EL), with CO2-48 h-4 °C-MA demonstrating the minimum EL. The effectiveness of high CO2 on maintaining sensory qualities was observed, with a score higher than 3.0. In conclusion, CO2-48 h-4 °C-MA treatment during cold storage was effective for maintaining post-harvest sensory qualities and physiological–biological traits of asparagus, and provided strong inhibition of microflora growth during the storage period.