Moderate salt stress aids in the enhancement of nutritional and flavor quality in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruits

Salt stress has been found to enhance the quality of certain plants, yet its influence on fruit flavor remains largely unexplored. Our study probes the impact of salinity on the nutritional and flavor profile of tomatoes. Tomato plants were exposed to 0, 30, 50, 70, 90, and 110 mM of NaCl. Moderate salinity levels (50–70 mM) were found to boost the nutritional value of tomatoes, with increases in soluble solids, protein, and sugar levels. However, the concentration of key minerals such as K, Mg, and Mn declined with escalating salinity. Furthermore, the number of volatile compounds has increased, and the content of different types (alcohols, aldehydes, esters, etc.) has also significantly increased. Salinity stress also significantly influenced the levels of characteristic volatile compounds, especially hexanal, phenylethyl alcohol, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one. Overall, these results will provide valuable strategies for producing high-quality tomatoes. • Salt stress enhances tomato quality, but its impact on flavor is largely unexplored. • Moderate salinity (50–70 mM) boosts tomato nutritional value but key minerals decline. • Salinity increases volatile compounds in tomatoes and influences characteristic ones.