Coumaroylquinic and chlorogenic acids as markers of the pineapple fruitlet core rot disease

Black spot disease is the major postharvest disease affecting Victoria ('Queen') pineapple in Reunion Island. Fusarium ananatum , the main causal agent of black spot was inoculated in 'MD2' and Victoria ('Queen'), a resistant and a susceptible cultivar respectively. A metabolomics approach, of healthy and inoculated fruitlets allows us to determine which putative metabolites are involved in the black spot disease. The phenolic compounds seemed to be determining markers of black spot. Based on those results, we conducted follow ‐ up work on evolution of black spot disease with a focus on phenolic compounds. Coumaroylquinic and chlorogenic acids increased drastically in the infected fruitlets in both cultivars post ‐ inoculation. Hydroxycinnamic acid increased more rapidly in 'MD2' than in Victoria ('Queen') cultivar. 'MD2' infected fruitlets reached higher levels in hydroxycinnamic acids in a shorter period than Victoria ('Queen') cultivar. In healthy fruits of 'MD2', coumaroylquinic acid and hydroxybenzoic acids are produce naturally as the fruit matures. These compounds are known to play a major role in the plant disease resistance.