Characterization of volatile compounds in selected citrus fruits from Asia. Part I: Freshly-squeezed juice

Abstract

The volatile compounds in three selected citrus fruits from Asia, Indonesian Pontianak orange (Citrus nobilis Lour. var. microcarpa Hassk.), Indian Mosambi (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) and Philippine Dalandan (Citrus reticulata Blanco), were characterized. The volatile compounds from the headspace of the citrus juices were isolated by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) prior to separation with gas chromatograph (GC) and identification by mass spectrometry (MS). The volatile compounds of the juices were extracted by diethyl ether for quantitative analysis, using GC-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). A total of 51 compounds were detected in Pontianak orange, 50 in Mosambi and 41 in Dalandan juice. They comprise terpenes, carbonyls, alcohols, esters and hydrocarbons, with limonene as the main compound. Each citrus cultivar studied contained compounds not frequently reported in other citrus fruits, such as β-chamigrene in Mosambi, as well as tentatively identified 2,6-dimethyl-1,3,5,7-octatetraene and isopiperitenone in Pontianak orange and in Dalandan juices, respectively. The results also showed that Mosambi and Dalandan juices portray the typical profile of sweet orange and mandarin, respectively, while Pontianak orange demonstrates its own unique traits. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.