Identification of volatile compounds in cultivars barker, collinson, fortuna and geada of avocado (Persea americana, Mill.) fruit

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to determine the volatile profile of four cultivars -Barker, Collinson, Fortuna and Geada of avocado (Persea americana, Mill.) fruit and to perform a detailed study on the effect of volatiles extraction conditions. The best conditions for extraction for Collinson and Fortuna cultivars were by using a mixture of pentane and ethyl ether (2:1) as solvent for 80 min, while for Barker and Geada cultivars, the solvents were hexane and pentane-ether (2:1), respectively but for a shorter extraction period of 60 min. A total number of 158 compounds were separated in all 4 avocado cultivars, among them eighty-four volatile compounds were identified. The principal volatile compounds viz. hexanal, ethyl acetate, methyl dodecanoate, 2,5-dimethyl furan, 1,3-butanediol, 2-ethylphenol, 2-butanol, α−bergamotene, β−caryophyllene, (E)-2-decenal were common in all the 4 cultivars. (E)-2-pentenal which possesses fruity aroma was found only in the cultivar Fortuna while ethyl acetate possessing fresh fruity flavor was present in higher content in Collinson cultivar. Benzaldehyde which possesses characteristic fruity and nutty odor note was present at a higher concentration (4.3%) in only Geada cultivar and in traces in Barker cultivar but it was not detected in Collinson and Fortuna cultivars.Keywords: avocado; aroma; quality; pulp; GC-MS. Practical Application:The innovative nature of this work is that we have monitored the volatile profile of 4 varieties -Barker, Collinson, Fortuna and Geada largely cultivated in the northeast region of Brazil. There is no published work as yet on volatile composition of these varieties. The work also optimizes the conditions of extraction from these cultivars so that higher numbers of volatiles are captured. The differences in volatile compounds among the four varieties could contribute for their suitable usage as fresh or processed fruit.

Identification of Key Off-Flavor Compounds in Thermally Treated Watermelon Juice via Gas Chromatography–Olfactometry–Mass Spectrometry, Aroma Recombination, and Omission Experiments

“…They are also present in the avocado, fish oil, and olive oil. These aldehydes derive from the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids [21,22]. In these studies, (E)-2-heptenal imparts fatty, fruity, or green smell, and (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal contributes a green, fatty, or nutty note, which are in accordance with this study.…”

Chemical Characterization of Two California-Grown Avocado Varieties (Persea americana Mill.) over the Harvest Season with an Emphasis on Sensory-Directed Flavor Analysis

“…However, with the same samples, increasing the extraction time from 60 to 70 min increased the number of volatiles. 12 This study failed to recognize that volatiles may be lost during the distillation process and that thermally generated compounds could form during long extractions; therefore, an extraction producing a greater number of volatiles does not necessarily mean that the extraction is better. Obenland et al used a number of precautions to minimize analytical artifacts, including the addition of sodium chloride to inactivate enzymes and a short, moderate heating time (30 min, 40 °C) using solid-phase microextraction (SPME).…”

“…While oil content and composition are important for avocado mouthfeel and possibly taste, , the volatiles impacting avocado flavor are still largely unexplored. There is a growing body of work investigating the volatile compounds in avocados from cultivars such as “Hass”, “Fuerte”, “Barker”, “Collinson”, “Fortuna”, “Geada”, and “Moro” . Several of the early volatile explorations have utilized simultaneous steam distillation/solvent extraction (Likens–Nickerson), − which provides insights into compounds that may be present in the avocado but can generate artifacts.…”

“…In another study, researchers aimed to optimize avocado volatile extraction conditions in a modified Likens–Nickerson procedure by trying various extraction times and solvents, but the researchers had multiple cases where increasing the extraction time from 40 to 60 min decreased the total number of volatiles (peaks) obtained, i.e., from 17 to 12. However, with the same samples, increasing the extraction time from 60 to 70 min increased the number of volatiles . This study failed to recognize that volatiles may be lost during the distillation process and that thermally generated compounds could form during long extractions; therefore, an extraction producing a greater number of volatiles does not necessarily mean that the extraction is better.…”

Characterization of aroma compounds of cold-pressed avocado oil using solid-phase microextraction techniques with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

“…In the current study, HS-SPME (Headspace solid-phase microextraction), which is a simple, quick, and inexpensive method, was used for the extraction. There are studies on the aroma compounds of avocado fruit in the extant literature (Hausch et al, 2020;Mahendran et al, 2019;Galvao et al, 2016;Obenland et al, 2012;Guzmán-Gerónimo et al, 2008;López et al, 2004;Pino et al, 2000). However, there are a limited number of studies on the aroma profile of avocado oil.…”