20.500.12556/RUL-191054 Beyond metabolite profiling towards an integrated understanding of flavor in horticultural plants Flavor is one of the most important attributes determining the acceptance and value of horticultural products. Unlike traits such as yield, fruit size, or external appearance, however, flavor is not determined by a single measurable characteristic. It emerges from complex interactions among sugars, organic acids, phenolic compounds, pigments, amino acids, volatile organic compounds, and other metabolites. These biochemical traits are shaped by genotype, environmental conditions, production technologies, developmental stage, and postharvest handling [1,2]. Consequently, understanding flavor requires an integrative perspective that connects plant biology with food chemistry, production technology, and consumer perception. This complexity is becoming increasingly relevant in the context of climate change. Horticultural crops are exposed to increasing temperature variability, drought, altered precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme events, all of which can affect not only yield but also nutritional and sensory quality [3,4]. At the same time, consumers increasingly expect horticultural products to combine attractive sensory characteristics with nutritional value, safety, sustainability, and appropriate production practices [5]. Against this background, the Special Issue “Flavor Biochemistry of Horticultural Plants” was established to bring together research addressing the biochemical basis of flavor and quality across different horticultural crops and production systems. The Special Issue ultimately comprises six contributions covering fruit, vegetables, herbs, and specialty crops, and approaches the topic from complementary perspectives, including cultivar diversity, environmental and agronomic factors, biochemical characterization, sensory evaluation, postharvest processing, storage, and bioactive compounds. flavor metabolite profiling horticultural plants genetic diversity flavor biochemistry okus biokemija sadne rastline genetska raznolikost sekundarni metaboliti primarni metaboliti true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2026-11-11 11:10:17 2026-11-11 11:10:25 2026-11-12 04:12:32 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 4 str. iss. 10, art. no. 1251 Vol. 12 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 634 2311-7524 10.3390/horticulturae12101251 304820227 Grohar_2026_-_horticulturae-12-01251.pdf Grohar_2026_-_horticulturae-12-01251.pdf 1 647092D16D06E5AD3EF26E996C1589F7 f8bf132dbfe8ee20f1d3e7f3290f0b0ce4b7602c5ff6b2c84e11a1cc710250e8 2f15a88d-ddb8-11f1-aea2-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=252934 https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/12/10/1251 1 050fcc41-ddb8-11f1-aea2-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=252933 Biotehniška fakulteta 0 0 0