Effect of dynamic controlled atmosphere on volatile compound profile and quality of pears

•Pears were stored in dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) and extremely low oxygen.•Storage in CA delays the development of buttery and juicy texture of ‘Rocha’ pears.•Dynamic CA and extremely low O2 affect the majority of VOCs in the three cultivars.•Ripening of ‘Santa Maria’ pears is not inhibited after storage in DCA plus 7 d at 20 °C.•Ripening of ‘Packham's’ pears developed after storage in ELO and DCA plus 7 d shelf life. The effects of controlled atmosphere (CA), extremely low oxygen (ELO), dynamic controlled atmosphere monitored by respiratory quotient (DCA-RQ) and carbon dioxide production (DCA-CD) on the quality and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of ‘Santa Maria’, ‘Rocha’ and ‘Packham's’ pears were evaluated. All pear cultivars were stored at -0.5 °C, in CA (2 kPa O2), ELO (0.5 kPa O2), DCA-RQ, and DCA-CD, all under 1.0 kPa CO2. ‘Santa Maria’ pears were stored for 4 months and ’Rocha’ and ‘Packham's’ for 6 months, followed by 7 days at 20 °C before quality analyses. Storage of ‘Santa Maria’ and ‘Packham's’ pears under CA resulted in yellower fruit skin color and lower flesh firmness, compared to ELO, DCA-RQ and DCA-CD, which can be attributed to higher ethylene production and respiration rate, indicated by principal component analysis (PCA), as both variables are correlated with CA and are inversely correlated with skin color and flesh firmness. ‘Rocha’ pears stored under CA resulted in higher flesh firmness, which may be related to higher ethanol concentration, evidenced by PCA, where both variables are correlated with CA storage. Storage in DCA-RQ and DCA-CD resulted in higher ethyl acetate and butyl acetate concentrations in ‘Santa Maria’ pears, while in ‘Rocha’ pears lower ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, hexyl acetate, methyl acetate, pentyl acetate, and propyl acetate concentrations, and in ‘Packham's’ lower hexyl acetate and methyl acetate concentrations were observed, compared to CA storage. ‘Santa Maria’ pears, irrespective of storage condition and ‘Packham's’ pears in CA, develop a yellowish skin color, with buttery and juicy texture. The concentration of the vast majority of VOCs is reduced by storage in ELO, DCA-RQ and DCA-CD in the three cultivars.