Quantitative Sensory Property Variation of Texture, Taste, and Aroma for 268 F3 Cucumber Progenies

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is the third most cultivated vegetable crop in the world, after tomato and onion. Cucumber texture, taste and aroma make up the fruit’s key sensory qualities. The sensory qualities determine consumer acceptance, which directly impacts cucumber’s commercial value. This study aimed to investigate the texture, taste, and aroma variation in 268 F3 cucumber progenies from the same parents (WI-7801 and WI-7633). Cucumber firmness, which is directly linked to crunchiness, was measured by a texture analyzer using a shear blade probe. Firmness values within the F3 family ranged between 13.24-56.87N, with an average firmness of 28.65N. For the taste components, total sugars measured by a refractometer ranged between 1.20-6.40 with an average value of 3.79Brix. The pH, measured by a calibrated pH meter ranged between 5.13-7.07 with an average pH of 6.04. Titratable acidity, measured by Titrando machine, ranged between 0.103-0.329% with an average value of 0.207%. In addition, bitterness was estimated by total phenolic content measurement using the Folic-Ciocalteau method. Values ranged between 2.32-27.81 mg/100g GAE, with an average value of 11.62 mg/100g GAE. Furthermore, volatile aroma was analyzed by solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (SPME-GC-MS). The aroma intensity estimated by the peak area showed variation as high as 6.3. 5.3 and 3.6 times for the three most dominant odor active compounds- hexenal, E-2 nonenal and (E, Z)-2,6 nonadienal respectively. All measurements exhibited a normal distribution of values. This study provides insight about variations in qualities that contribute to sensory qualities of cucumbers and has the potential to contribute to the knowledge required to achieve specific fruit qualities in cucumber breeding programs.