Tomato aroma: biochemistry and biotechnology

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, formerly Lycopersicon lycopersicum), a plant native to the Americas, is cultivated worldwide for its edible fruits. The unique flavor of tomato fruit renders it as one of the favorite ingredients of both popular and gastronomic dishes. The tomato flavor, as with many other fruits and vegetables, is due to a complex mixture of volatile and non-volatile compounds. According to this cut off, they suggested that the aroma of fresh ripe tomato can be attributed mainly to cis-3-hexenal, cis-3-hexenol, hexanal, 1-penten-3-one, methyl salicylate, 2-isobutylthiazole, and ß-ionone at the appropriate concentrations. These compounds are derived biosynthetically from the degradation of larger compounds such as fatty and amino acids and carotenoids and are also formed through other biosynthetic routes. Genetic evidence has indicated a correlation between color patterns and aroma in tomato fruits. Genetic engineering has led to the manipulation of these pathways, confirming the biosynthetic routes and introducing novel flavors in tomato fruit.