Influence of Different Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Concentrations during Storage on Production of Volatile Compounds by Starking Delicious Apples

Abstract

Starking Delicious apples were cold-stored in semicommercial chambers in normal atmosphere and in different controlled atmospheres in which oxygen and carbon dioxide were held at 1%, 2%, and 3% for 3, 5, and 7 months. After storage, fruit was kept at ambient temperature (20 degrees C) for 1, 5, and 10 days. The volatile emission was collected and analyzed. After all storage periods and conditions, the total aromatic volatile emission was higher than at commercial harvest. The highest emission of volatile components was obtained after 5 months of storage, in which controlled-atmosphere conditions gave a lower concentration than normal cold storage. Esters were the main volatiles detected (>98%). Acetate ester concentrations after all storage periods assayed were higher at 3% and 2% O(2)/CO(2). The components that contributed most to the characteristic aroma of Starking Delicious were ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl butyrate, and ethyl hexanoate. Their concentrations were higher after 5 months of storage and also during poststorage at ambient temperature (20 degrees C).

Biochemistry of apple aroma: A review

“…Linear alcohols are derived from the fatt y acid catabolism, whereas branched-chain alcohols are produced by the metabolism of branched amino acids (31,32). Alcohols are the second most important compounds that contribute to the aroma of ripe apples aft er esters (33), the most abundant being 2-methyl-1--butanol, 1-butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-propanol and 2-methyl--1-propanol (14,(34)(35)(36). They are direct precursors of esters (6), which may occasionally be fragmented to their corresponding alcohols and fatt y acids by the action of esterases (37)(38)(39)(40)(41).…”

“…This occurs in both fatt y acid and amino acid catabolism (15,43,44). In ripe apples, alcohols constitute 6 to 16 % of the total volatiles (8), whereas esters represent, depending on the apple variety, from 80 % in Golden Delicious and Golden Reinders (14,45) to 98 % in Starking Delicious (36). Esters can have linear or branched chains, and their concentration depends on the availability of precursors (37,46,47) and on the selectivity and activity of the enzymes involved (48)(49)(50)(51).…”

“…Substrate availability is an important factor in the recovery of aroma in apples stored for long periods (15,36,124). It has been demonstrated that precursors added to whole apples diff use towards the internal tissues of the fruit (46).…”

Determination of volatile compounds by headspace-solid phase microextraction - gas chromatography / mass spectrometry: Quality evaluation of Fuji apple

“…In general, GC and GC/MS methods have employed several extraction methods including purgetrap or dynamic headspace techniques. 4,[13][14][15] Recently, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) using various adsorbents is being widely used for rapid extraction of volatile compounds from aromatic plants and fruits with a complicated sample matrix. [15][16][17] One advantage of the SPME method is that several types of fibers can be used, based on the polarity of the analytes, for the extraction of volatiles in herbal plants that have a complex matrix.…”

“…4,[13][14][15] Recently, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) using various adsorbents is being widely used for rapid extraction of volatile compounds from aromatic plants and fruits with a complicated sample matrix. [15][16][17] One advantage of the SPME method is that several types of fibers can be used, based on the polarity of the analytes, for the extraction of volatiles in herbal plants that have a complex matrix. In particular, headspace (HS) SPME combined with a GC/MS method, has improved the analytical performance in terms of the elimination of interfering substances and enhancement of chromatographic separation, sensitivity, selectivity, and measurement precision and accuracy.…”