GC–MS Characterization of Volatile Compounds in Habanero Pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) by Optimization of Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Conditions

Food Analytical Methods - The habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is very aromatic and is the hottest pepper in the world. In this study, a headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas...     

A review of volatile analytical methods for determining the botanical origin of honey

Aroma is an important quality factor in foods. The aroma of bee honey depends on volatile fraction composition, which is influenced by nectar composition and floral origin. Honey of unifloral origin usually commands higher commercial value, thus the floral determination and certification of unifloral honey plays an important role in quality control. This review concerns investigations made on the volatile fraction of bee honey by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Recent advances in extraction methods, results achieved, and comparisons of alternative dependable methods for determining floral origin of bee honey are discussed. We emphasize solid phase micro-extraction gas chromatography (SPME/GC) methodology and present some of the results obtained to date, plus the advantages and drawbacks of SPME/GS in comparison with other methods.     

Antibacterial properties of honey produced by Melipona beecheii and Apis mellifera against foodborn microorganisms

The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial activity in vitro of Melipona and Apis honey against various foodborne microorganisms. The results of qualitative test showed that Melipona honey inhibited both Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 and H08M06 strains and both Escherichia coli ATCC35922 and H12K06 strains. Apis honey inhibited both E. coli ATCC35922 and H12K06 strains and S. aureus ATCC25923 strain. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of Melipona honey (5–16%, w/v) were lower than those of Apis honey (15–31%, w/v). This study demonstrated that the antibacterial potency of Melipona honey could be a new alternative for controlling foodborne illness.     

Characterization of total capsaicinoids,colour and volatile compounds of Habanero chilli pepper (Capsicum chinense Jack.) cultivars grown in Yucatan

Total capsaicinoids, colour and volatile compounds of 10 Habanero chilli pepper (Capsicum chinense Jack.) cultivars grown in Yucatan, grouped by their colours: four red, five orange and one brown, were determined. The content of capsaicinoids, responsible for the pungency of chilli peppers, varied between 41.8 and 65.9 mg g⁻¹ dry fruit. Mean concentration of orange cultivars was 55.0 mg g⁻¹, while red cultivars had 45.0 mg g⁻¹ dry fruit, indicating that the first ones are more pungent. The composition of volatile compounds of the Habanero chilli peppers differs clearly for the different cultivars. Orange and brown cultivars have in general higher amounts of esters, with their fruity odour notes, than red cultivars. These differences are reflected in the amount of total volatiles, which is higher in orange and brown cultivars in comparison with red cultivars. From these results it can be concluded that orange and brown cultivars are better in terms of their flavour-relevant chemical composition than red cultivars.     

Changes in volatile compounds of Habanero chile pepper (Capsicum chinense Jack. cv. Habanero) at two ripening stages

The steam volatile components of Yucatan Habanero chile pepper (Capsicum chinense Jack. cv. Habanero) at two ripening stages (green and orange) were analyzed using GC and GC/MS. Both samples had several compounds in common. One hundred and two compounds were identified, from which (E)-2-hexenal, hexyl 3-methylbutanoate, (Z)-3-hexenyl 3-methylbutanoate, hexyl pentanoate, 3,3-dimethylcyclohexanol, and hexadecanoic acid were found to be the major constituents. During Habanero chile pepper maturation, the majority of volatile compounds decreased or even disappeared, some of them with green odour notes while esters, which have fruity odour notes, increased at the same time.     

Characterization of odor-active compounds in three varieties of ciruela (Spondias purpurea L.) fruit

The aroma-active compounds present in tree ripened fruits of ciruela (Spondias purpurea L.) cultivars Chi abal, Campech abal, and Ek abal were isolated by means of simultaneous distillation solvent extraction and solid-phase microextraction and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Application of odor activity values (OAV) afforded 22 compounds in higher amounts than their threshold concentrations (OAVs >1). Results of the identification experiments in combination with the OAVs suggested that methyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl hexanoate, hexyl acetate, with fruity odor notes; (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol, and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, with grassy odor notes, and limonene (citrus-like) were the potentially important common odorants in all ciruela cultivars. Clear differences in the OAVs of some odorants between each of the cultivars suggested that they contributed to the unique sensory profiles of the individual cultivars.