This study evaluated the physiochemical changes of one commercial European pear variety ‘Conference’ and one Asian pear variety ‘Yali’ during 60 days of storage at 1 °C. Content of organic acids, ethylene and formation of CO₂ were determined using HPLC/UV-VIS and GC/FID and TCD detectors, respectively. This study presents an evaluation of the influence of the above-mentioned factors and long-term storage on quality parameters, including the antioxidant capacity of an important European and Asian pear cultivar. There was a significant effect of temperature on respiration rate in both varieties. Development of the respiration intensity had a similar course in European and Asian pears. The high values of CO₂ production at the beginning of storage for the variety ‘Conference’ (14.08 mg·kg⁻¹·h⁻¹) and ‘Yali’ (23.37 mg·kg⁻¹·h⁻¹) were followed by a sharp decline of 80% and 83% at later stages of storage at 1 °C, respectively. Ethylene formation in fruit increased with storage time and was the highest after 60 days in cold storage, especially in ‘Yali’ (7.14 µL·kg⁻¹·h⁻¹). The results show the relation between ethylene formation and ripening-related fruit parameters. The ‘Yali’ variety showed negligible changes in soluble solids content and flesh firmness during storage ranging from 0.35 to 0.60 MPa. The most represented sugar determined enzymatically was fructose and malic acid was the dominant organic acid in pear fruit. Antioxidant activity determined using the FRAP and DPPH methods did not change significantly during 60 days of storage.

A total of 124 identical volatile aromatic compounds were identified during storage of the European ‘Conference’ and the Asian ‘Yali’ pear cultivars in different temperature conditions. Only 5 volatiles were statistically differentiated in both cultivars by means of successive multinomial logistic regression: 3-methylbutan-1-al, 2-methylpropyl acetate, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, ethanol, and eugenol. Significant statistical data obtained by sequential multinomial logistic regression developed by the principal component analysis (PCA) procedure and distinguishing the different ‘Conference’ and ‘Yali’ pears storage regimes were dimensionless in themselves. The PCA components were expressed as linear combinations of selected variables necessary to distinguish the cultivars. The eigenvalues of the first three PCA components differentiated the storage regimes. For each principal components were selected volatiles with a probability higher than 0.4. Combinations created from PCA components were shown using clusters distinguishing the pear storage conditions used. Analytical data from SPME-GC/MS such as concentration (ng kg⁻¹) demonstrated multiple and order-of-magnitude differences between the ‘Conference’ and ‘Yali’ pears. The ‘Yali’ cultivar exhibited significantly higher concentrations of eugenol.