VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS OF GREEN AND RIPENED PINEAPPLE (ANANAS-COMOSUS [L] MERR)

Volatile constituents of green and ripened pineapples were isolated and identified by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The numbers of volatiles found were 144 and 127 in green and ripened pineapples, respectively. Among a total of 157 constituents identified, 50 were identified for the first time from pineapple. Esters constituted over 80% of total volatiles from both green and ripened pineapples. The major volatile constituents in green pineapples were ethyl acetate and ethyl 3-(methylthio)propanoate. In ripened pineapples, ethyl acetate and butane-2,3-diol diacetate were the main constituents. Diastereoisomers of butane-2,3-diol diacetate were satisfactorily separated by a gas chromatographic chiral column.