ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Metabolism and Chemodiversity
Diversity of Volatile Phenols and Their Newly Identified Precursors During Different Grape Species Development
Ziang Zheng 1
Weixi Yang 1
Mengyao Qi 1
Yanfang Bai 1
Qingsen Kong 2
Dongqing Ye 3
Guo Cheng 4
Keji Yu 1
Chang-Qing Duan 1
Yibin Lan 1
1. China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
2. Ji’an Yajianggu Winery Co., Ltd., Tonghua, China
3. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Fruits and Vegetables Storage-Processing Technology, Guangxi, China
4. Grape and Wine Research Institute, Nanning, China
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Abstract
Grape-derived volatile phenols significantly contribute to wine aroma, yet their developmental dynamics and species-specific regulation in grapes remain poorly understood. This study monitored 18 volatile phenols and identified 20 glycosidic precursors during berry development in three East Asian grape species (Vitis davidii, V. quinquangularis, V. amurensis) and V. vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon from two regions (Ningxia and Changli). Using a pseudo-targeted metabolomic approach coupled with UHPLC-qTOF-MS/MS, we profiled precursors of m/p-cresol, guaiacol, 4-vinyl-phenol, 4-vinyl-guaiacol, isoeugenol, and coniferaldehyde. Time-series analysis revealed markedly distinct accumulation patterns: East Asian species showed progressive accumulation of volatile phenols and higher precursor concentrations than V. vinifera, with V. davidii exhibiting the highest levels. Cabernet Sauvignon displayed contrasting regional patterns—gradual accumulation in Changli versus an early peak followed by decline in Ningxia. Six precursors were exclusive to East Asian species, indicating species-specific glycosyltransferase activities and serving as potential markers for predicting varietal identity. Widespread precursors (e.g., glycosidic m/p-cresol, isoeugenol, and coniferaldehyde) showed strong positive correlations with their volatile phenols, demonstrating predictive potential. Collectively, these results provide a systematic analysis of the expression of volatile phenols and their precursors and reveal pronounced metabolic differences between East Asian and V. vinifera grapes, as well as between growing regions. This knowledge provides actionable guidance for vineyard management, varietal selection, and wine style development.
Summary
Keywords
East Asian species, Glycosidic precursors, Grape development, Pseudo-targeted metabolomics, volatile phenols
Received
14 November 2025
Accepted
17 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Zheng, Yang, Qi, Bai, Kong, Ye, Cheng, Yu, Duan and Lan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Yibin Lan
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