Yan_2026_Food.Biosci_78_108609

Fruit wine generally has the disadvantages of insufficient and unstable aroma. The characteristic aroma compounds of pear wine and its biosynthetic mechanisms remain poorly understood, which limits efforts to enhance the aroma quality. This study analyzed the influence of sucrose on the biosynthesis of volatile medium chain fatty acid esters (MCFAEs), examined the enzymatic properties and catalytic processes of key enzymes, and explored the interaction between aroma compounds and human olfactory receptor. It was found that sucrose promoted the synthesis of MCFAEs such as heptanol, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, and methyl caprate. The expression of genes (PDC, ADH, ACC1, FAS1, EHT1, EEB1, ACS1, and ATF1) in biosynthetic pathways was up-regulated. The key enzymes EHT1p and EEB1p had higher activity under elevated temperatures (30 degreesC and 45 degreesC) and alkaline conditions (pH 7.5 and 8.0), with EHT1p showing a preference for octanoyl-CoA and EEB1p for decanoyl-CoA. Furthermore, the identified characteristic aroma compounds exhibited strong binding affinity to the olfactory receptor consOR4. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism and potential strategies for optimizing the aroma of fruit wine.