Volatile Profiles of Vidal Grapes in the Shangri-La High-Altitude Region during On-Vine Non-Destructive Dehydration

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

     Research paper entitled " Volatile Profiles of Vidal Grapes in Shangri-La High Altitude Region during On-Vine Non-Destructive Dehydration ", contain good information on the influence of on-vine non-destructive dehydration degree on both free and glycosidically bound volatile compounds in Vidal grapes.

      However, there are a few improvements to be made. It should be revised according to the comments given below.

 

 

v In the Section: Introduction

      The volatile compounds are important characteristics of grape quality. They are usually located in grape pulp and skin in free and bound glycoside forms. These volatiles are generally derived from isoprenes, fatty acids, and amino acids via various synthetic pathways.

     In my opinion, in the introduction part, it is important to add an overview of Volatile compounds (their important role and the classification of biosynthesis pathways).

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Thanks a lot for your recommendation. An overview of volatile compounds in grape berries has been added as the first paragraph in the Introduction section (Lines 31-40). The manuscript also has undergone English language editing by MDPI language editing services.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Attach file

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Thanks a lot for your recommendation. The manuscript has undergone English language editing by MDPI language editing services.

Reviewer 3 Report

The manuscript „Volatile Profiles of Vidal Grapes in Shangri-La High Altitude Region during On-Vine Non-Destructive Dehydration” by Qing-Fang Xu, Liang Fan, Kai-Xiang Lu, Dong-Mei Zhao, Ming-Xia Zhang and Jian Cai is very interesting from the point of view of wine-making industry.

General impression

The presented manuscript is very interesting. However before publication some issues should be clarified. First of all, in the "Results and Discussion" section, the authors must decide which aspects of this work are most important. Table S1:Qualitative and quantitative information of volatile compounds is much more important than the Figure 2 concerning metheorological conditions during sampling period. In my opinion this two things should be exchanged. Similarly, Table S2 and S3 are more important than Figure 4. Although the PCA analysis as well as OPLS-DA analysis are important, it would be anough to sum up the results and include Figures 8-10 to supplementary material.

Introduction part is too long and some details should be shifted to the discussion part.

The part of discussion from lines 773-797 concerning grapes infected by Botrytis is not necessary as it has no connection with the presented study (Authors previously stated in lines 135-136 that none of the grapes were infected........by the way on what basis it was estimated.)

Please exchange the word “Biomarkers” from line 633 with word “parameters” or “key parameters”

Materials and Methods section should be constructed in such a way that the conducted experiments could be repeated by an independent research team. Please give the details concerning the purity and origin of all the chemicals used in the study, state the type and the producer of all the equipment and accessories. Please give the details of the certain procedures.

Examples: 1. when speaking about centrifugation with refrigerated centrifuge state clearly type of centrifuge, type of vials for centrifugation, rpm, temperature

2. when talking about juice volume tell how it was measured ( with cylinder? What kind? With what accuracy?)

3. weight was measured with electronic balance (what type, producer? What was the accuracy?) etc.....please check throughout the whole materials and methods section.

 

It would be good to show the visual appearance of the grapes studied immediately after harvest and at the various stages of dehydration. This would increase the application value of the work.

There is no need to provide page numbers from cited literature items in the text of the paper (lines 54,90, 108, 289, 760)

Language and style

The manuscript needs linguistic revision. Incorrect forms of verbs are used in many sentences.

Plural form from index is „indices” (line 77, 142, 148).

Line 41: Most of the vineyards are located......

Lines 57-58........also summarized that the grape varietal compounds.........

postharvest used 16 times ( as in line 66), while post-harvest 2 times (as in line 90) – please decide about the used form

Please revise manuscript carefully.

Author Response

Thanks a lot for your meticulous correction and recommendation. All the points you mentioned have been responsed in the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 4 Report

Horticulturae

REVIEW PAPER

Title of paper: Volatile Profiles of Vidal Grapes in Shangri-La High Altitude Region during On-Vine Non-Destructive Dehydration

Author/s: Qing-Fang Xu, Liang Fan, Kai-Xiang Lu, Dong-Mei Zhao, Ming-Xia Zhang, Jian Cai

Recommendation:

Manuscript is clear and concisely written. Abstract adequately describes the study, principle results and conclusions. Employed experimental methods are adequate, sufficiently clear and complete to allow repetition of the work. Data are properly analyzed and interpreted to support the conclusions. Relevant issues in discussion are adequately discussed. Cited references are appropriate.

Comments:

Figure 9: the markings are overlaping, please correct

 

Author Response

Thanks a lot for your recommendation. The overlapping in Figure 9 of the previous version was corrected (Figure 7 in Line 641 of this version). The manuscript also has undergone English language editing by MDPI language editing services.

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

The article has been largely revised.

Introduction has been shortened but also supplemented with essential information to define the scientific problem undertaken.

It provided a piece on the genesis of volatile compounds in wine in connection with grape processing. The importance of volatile components in the quality of wine for the consumer was pointed out (organoleptic parameters).

It was indicated that the timing of grape harvesting and the pre-fermentation processes carried out are important in the later stage of wine production. Mechanisms of changes in grape metabolism under the influence of cold and the process of deliberate dehydration are indicated.

In the present form Introduction is satisfactory.

In the Materials and Methods section, the authors indicated the origin of most reagents as suggested  (information still missing in some cases such as sodium chloride line 156 or standard of 1,3-dimethyl-1-butanol, MiliQwater -equipment etc…), showed manufacturers of the apparatus, and named the procedures correctly.

It should be re-checked carefully.

Tables containing significant results were moved from supplementary files to articles and vice versa, and those of minor importance were removed from the main article.

 

Table 1 containing Qualitative and quantitative information of volatile compounds was added to the main text of the paper, which greatly improved the reader's perception of the paper (the table was moved from supplementary files).

The sentence from line 188 : "The detailed qualitative and quantitative information..........." and Table 1 should be shifted to  the beginning of the Results section

The former Figure 2 (Meteorological data during the sampling period of the vineyard ) has been moved to supplementary file.

The Authors added Figure S2 (Visual appearance of the grapes after harvest at T5).

The language of the article has been revised and in some places completely changed

The article is suitable for publication after incorporating minor revisions.

Author Response

Thank you very much for your recommendation. The two points you mentioned have been revised as follows:

(1) The origins of all reagents and equipment have been checked and the missing information has been added in the Materials and Methods section highlighted in blue.

(2) Table 1 and the sentence from line 188 in the previous version have been shifted to the Results and Discussion section in the revised version (Lines 268 and 281).