Volatile compounds and descriptive odor attributes in umbu (Spondias tuberosa) fruits during maturation

The umbu fruit is appreciated in north and northeast region of Brazil mainly because of its refreshing and acidic flavor. The objective of this work was to determine the volatile compounds in half-ripe and ripe stages of umbu fruit and to identify important characteristic compounds which could contribute for its aroma by performing sniffing evaluation of volatile extracts. The principal volatile compounds identified in the ripe umbu fruit pulp were 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one, ethyl benzene, 1-penten-3-one, 2-acetyl thiazone, p-xylene, limonene, 2,2-dimethyl 4-octenal, 3-hexanol, 2-nonanol, 1-nonanol, 2-pentanol, 2-octanol, 3-methylethyl 2-butanoate, butyl benzoate, 3-allyl cyclohexene, 2-acetyl furan, 2-hexyl furan, beta-caryophyllene and methyl pyrazine. A total of 37 volatile compounds were diagnosed with characteristic aroma attributes. The principal volatile compounds which could be responsible for the characteristic aroma of ripe umbu fruit pulp were beta-(Z)-ocimene, methyl pyrazine, 2-butyl-thiophene, methyl octanoate, 2-hexyl furan, 2-octanol, (E)-2-cyclohexen-1-one. 3-bromo-cyclohexene, 1-heptanol, 2-nonanol and 1-octanol. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.