Comprehensive comparison of flavor and metabolomic profiles in kiwi wine fermented by kiwifruit flesh with different colors

The objective of the study was to comprehensively assess flavor and metabolomic disparities in the aroma and taste profiles of kiwi wine (KW) derived from kiwifruits with green (Hayward), red (Donghong), and yellow (Jinshi) flesh. The findings revealed that Hayward wine exhibited the most “floral, fruity and pleasant” aromas, while Donghong wine demonstrated the most “sweet, fullness and balanced” tastes. In KW, a total of 106 compounds were characterized using a flavor-directed research strategy and metabolomics. PCA and PLS-DA effectively differentiated the three types of KW based on their aroma and taste characteristics. Ten volatile compounds (ethyl isovalerate, ethyl hexanoate, isoamyl acetate-D, acetone, hexyl acetate-M, hexyl acetate-D, ethyl isobutyrate, 2-butylfuran, 2-pentylfuran and 2-methylbutanal) and ten non-volatile compounds (malate, lactate, hydroxyacetone, pyroglutamate, succinate, 2-oxoglutarate, galactarate, acetoin, pyruvate and proline) were identified through multivariate analysis as key discriminators of flavor and metabolomic differences among the three types of KW. Furthermore, several metabolic pathways were investigated to distinguish the KW fermented with the three flesh-colored kiwifruits, mainly pertaining to glycerolipid, amino acid, sucrose, butanoate and pyruvate metabolism. This study could offer valuable insights into the effect of flesh colors on the flavor and metabolomic characteristics of KW.