Profiling of physicochemical properties, volatile and non-volatile compounds, and sensory preferences of three durian (Durio zibethinus L.) varieties in Peninsular Malaysia

Durian (Durio zibethinus L.) is a tropical fruit extensively cultivated in Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. "D200", "D197", and "D24" are the three most famous durian varieties in Malaysia. However, there is a notable disparity in their market prices, leading to the assumption that higher-priced varieties possess superior quality. Fruit quality is an important parameter that determines consumer preference. Therefore, the present work aimed to investigate the differences in the three popular Malaysian durian varieties ("D200", "D197", and "D24") from different geographical regions, particularly physicochemical properties, volatile and non-volatile compounds, and consumer preference, in order to verify the accuracy of the assumption. The results of the analysis showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in physicochemical properties and non-volatile compounds among different durian varieties. Meanwhile, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was found between the same durian varieties from different geographical regions, except for colour chromaticity a*, titratable acidity, and firmness. On the other hand, GC-MS results revealed that durians contained 18 volatile compounds including five sulphur compounds, five esters, four alcohols, one ketone, and three other compounds. Hedonic test results revealed that the sensory preference scores rated by panellists had no significant difference (p > 0.05) for the three different varieties, except for surface colour. Overall, panellists preferred Pahang "D200". Principal component analysis explained 64.30% of the total variation, with PC1 and PC2 accounting for 39.00 and 25.30%, respectively. In conclusion, physicochemical characteristics, and volatile and non-volatile compounds of the three durian varieties showed differences, and consumers preferred all the three durian varieties, with "D200" scoring the highest, followed by "D197" and "D24". (c) All Rights Reserved