Correlation network analysis identified the key interactions of texture profiles with the sensory, physical, and organoleptic properties of cherry tomato cultivars grown under salt stress.

• Texture profile analysis revealed salt-induced changes in tomato flesh hardness. • The effects of salt stress on fruit texture differed by cultivar and tissue type. • The correlation network of texture profiles varied by salt stress intensity. • Cohesiveness was the most connected node, and the connection was tissue-specific. • Cohesiveness enhances sensory and organoleptic properties under salt stress. Textural properties play an important role in the appreciation and acceptance of fresh tomatoes by consumers. This study aimed to clarify whether the effect of salt stress (50 and 100 mM NaCl) on texture profiles depends on the cultivars and/or tissue types of cherry tomatoes and visually identify the interactions of texture with organoleptic and consumer sensory properties using correlation network analysis. The effect of salt stress on texture profiles differed according to the cherry tomato cultivar, stress intensity, truss, and tissue (outer pericarp, locule, septa). The cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness of the outer pericarp and the cohesiveness of the locule were higher in salt-stressed fruit than in control fruit, but the effect was cultivar-dependent. Sensory properties such as overall taste, sweetness, and skin hardness and several organoleptic properties were 1.2–1.7-fold higher in salt-stressed fruit than in control fruit. Although no textural properties interacted with sensory properties in the control fruit network in correlation network analysis, the connectivity of textural properties such as cohesiveness with other traits in salt-stressed fruit increased with increasing salt stress intensity. In the network combining all treatments, the most connected node was cohesiveness, and cohesiveness was the key factor that enhanced the sensory and organoleptic properties of salt-stressed tomatoes, although the effects were cultivar- and tissue-specific. Thus, correlation network analysis provided visual insights into the interactions of textural properties with organoleptic and sensory properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]