The sweetness of the fruit depends on the amount of dissolved glucose or fructose, and volatile compounds such as esters and terpenes create a unique flavor. For example, fungicides are designed to destroy the cellular processes of fungi that harm plants, and they can unintentionally affect crops, inhibiting the production of these important flavor and nutritional compounds.
The researchers examined how two common pesticides used to treat strawberries — boscalide (BOS) and diphenoconazole (DIF) — affect certain molecular processors in the fruit. The scientists grew three groups of strawberries under the same conditions, using either BOS or DIF. Even after processing, the grown berries were the same size and color as the pesticide-free strawberries. However, a number of chemical changes were found in the grains in the first group, caused by both fungicides.
Thus, the processed berry reduced levels of soluble sugars and nutrients, including vitamin C. The sugars were converted to acids, which further reduced the sweetness. The amount of volatile compounds changed, suppressing the taste and aroma of the fruit.
Source: Ferra
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