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Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Flavours and Fragrances".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 17918

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Prof. Dr. Henryk H. Jeleń

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Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 31, 60-624 Poznań, Poland
Interests: food flavors—formation and analytical aspects; extraction techniques in flavor analysis; gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in aroma research; electronic noses; food volatiles for authenticity testing; microbial volatiles; off-flavors
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Dr. Małgorzata Majcher

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Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 31, 60-624 Poznan, Poland
Interests: food of plant origin; aroma compounds; GC-olfactometry; sensory analysis
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Dr. Martyna Natalia Wieczorek

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Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 31, 60-624 Poznań, Poland
Interests: food analysis; food flavor; microextraction methods; gas chromatography; mass spectrometry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The analysis of food flavor and volatile compounds is a demanding task for analytical chemists. The diverse chemical nature of these compounds, and often, their instability and extremely low odor thresholds for important odorants, make their extraction from the food matrix, as well as separation and detection, challenging. Their isolation is mainly performed using extraction techniques based on sorbent technologies (SPME, TF-SPME, HCSE, SBSE and P&T). Two-dimensional gas chromatography, especially comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC), plays an increasingly important role in research on aroma/volatiles, and detection methods based on mass spectrometry are routinely used.

The idea of this Special Issue is a follow-on of the symposium entitled “Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis”, which was organized on 22–23 September 2022 at the Poznan University of Life Sciences (https://www1.up.poznan.pl/zchziai/?p=1411). We welcome publications by speakers and participants of this symposium, as well as contributions from other authors whose research is focused on the analytical aspects of food aroma and flavor compounds.

Prof. Dr. Henryk H. Jeleń
Dr. Małgorzata Majcher
Dr. Martyna Natalia Wieczorek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

flavor
aroma compounds
volatiles
gas chromatography
mass spectrometry
sample preparation
hyphenated methods

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2410 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing the Quality of Low-Alcohol Navel Orange Wine through Simultaneous Co-Fermentation Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC-125, Angel Yeast SY, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BC114

by Hua Xiong, Yingyue Zhang, Wanting Wang, Hong Ye and Qing Zhang

Molecules 2024, 29(8), 1781; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29081781 - 14 Apr 2024

Viewed by 318

Abstract

To date, there has been limited research on the interactive effects of yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the sensory qualities of navel orange wine. In this study, using Jintang navel orange juice as the raw material, multi-microbial fermentation was conducted with Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC-125 and Angel yeast SY, as well as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BC114. Single yeast and co-fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum were used as the control groups. The research aimed to investigate the physicochemical parameters of navel orange wine during fermentation. Additionally, headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HP-SPME-GC-MS) was employed to determine and analyze the types and levels of flavor compounds in the navel orange wines produced through the different fermentation methods. The co-fermentation using the three strains significantly enhanced both the quantity and variety of volatile compounds in the navel orange wine, concomitant with heightened total phenol and flavonoid levels. Furthermore, a notable improvement was observed in the free radical scavenging activity. A sensory evaluation was carried out to analyze the differences among the various navel orange wines, shedding light on the impact of different wine yeasts and co-fermentation with LAB on the quality of navel orange wines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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17 pages, 10979 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of Volatile Compounds in the Flower Buds of Three Panax Species Using Fast Gas Chromatography Electronic Nose, Headspace-Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry, and Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Multivariate Statistical Analysis

by Yang Yue, Jiaxin Yin, Jingyi Xie, Shufang Wu, Hui Ding, Lifeng Han, Songtao Bie, Wen Song, Ying Zhang, Xinbo Song, Heshui Yu and Zheng Li

Molecules 2024, 29(3), 602; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29030602 - 26 Jan 2024

Viewed by 653

Abstract

The flower buds of three Panax species (PGF: P. ginseng; PQF: P. quinquefolius; PNF: P. notoginseng) widely consumed as health tea are easily confused in market circulation. We aimed to develop a green, fast, and easy analysis strategy to distinguish PGF, PQF, and PNF. In this work, fast gas chromatography electronic nose (fast GC e-nose), headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), and headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) were utilized to comprehensively analyze the volatile organic components (VOCs) of three flowers. Meanwhile, a principal component analysis (PCA) and heatmap were applied to distinguish the VOCs identified in PGF, PQF, and PNF. A random forest (RF) analysis was used to screen key factors affecting the discrimination. As a result, 39, 68, and 78 VOCs were identified in three flowers using fast GC e-nose, HS-GC-IMS, and HS-SPME-GC-MS. Nine VOCs were selected as potential chemical markers based on a model of RF for distinguishing these three species. Conclusively, a complete VOC analysis strategy was created to provide a methodological reference for the rapid, simple, and environmentally friendly detection and identification of food products (tea, oil, honey, etc.) and herbs with flavor characteristics and to provide a basis for further specification of their quality and base sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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13 pages, 1513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Potential of NIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics to Discriminate Roast Degrees and Predict Volatiles in Coffee

by Stella Green, Emily Fanning, Joy Sim, Graham T. Eyres, Russell Frew and Biniam Kebede

Molecules 2024, 29(2), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29020318 - 09 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1073

Abstract

This study aimed to establish a rapid and practical method for monitoring and predicting volatile compounds during coffee roasting using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics. Washed Arabica coffee beans from Ethiopia and Congo were roasted to industry-validated light, medium, and dark degrees. Concurrent analysis of the samples was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and NIR spectroscopy, generating datasets for partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis. The results showed that NIR spectroscopy successfully differentiated the differently roasted samples, similar to the discrimination achieved by GC-MS. This finding highlights the potential of NIR spectroscopy as a rapid tool for monitoring and standardizing the degree of coffee roasting in the industry. A PLS regression model was developed using Ethiopian samples to explore the feasibility of NIR spectroscopy to indirectly measure the volatiles that are important in classifying the roast degree. For PLSR, the data underwent autoscaling as a preprocessing step, and the optimal number of latent variables (LVs) was determined through cross-validation, utilizing the root mean squared error (RMSE). The model was further validated using Congo samples and successfully predicted (with R² values > 0.75 and low error) over 20 volatile compounds, including furans, ketones, phenols, and pyridines. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of NIR spectroscopy as a practical and rapid method to complement current techniques for monitoring and predicting volatile compounds during the coffee roasting process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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13 pages, 2487 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Make the Quality Control of Essential Oils Greener: Fast Enantioselective GC-MS Analysis of Sweet and Bitter Orange as a Case Study

by Gaia Bechis, Manuel A. Minteguiaga, Barbara Sgorbini, Arianna Marengo, Patrizia Rubiolo and Cecilia Cagliero

Molecules 2023, 28(17), 6231; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28176231 - 24 Aug 2023

Viewed by 857

Abstract

Quality control of essential oils is fundamental for verifying their authenticity and conformity with quality standards, ensuring their safety and regulatory compliance, and monitoring their consistency. Companies that produce or market essential oils routinely evaluate the quality and authenticity of their products. However, they also must deal with increasing attention to environmental sustainability as well as practical considerations such as productivity, cost, and simplicity of methods. In this study, enantioselective gas chromatography (GC) was adopted to evaluate the quality of sweet and bitter orange essential oils, used as a case study. The analytical conditions were optimized and translated to fast GC to evaluate the impact of this approach on the environmental footprint of the analyses. The greenness of fast GC, compared with conventional GC, was quantitatively evaluated using a dedicated metric tool (AGREE), and important improvements have been calculated. The developed methods were applied to a set of commercial essential oils, and the data about the enantiomeric composition and relative percentage abundance were elaborated through multivariate statistics (principal component analysis). The results showed that fast chiral gas chromatography enables the classification of citrus essential oil samples and can be considered an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach for evaluating their quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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28 pages, 3313 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unveiling the Aromas and Sensory Evaluation of Hakko Sobacha: A New Functional Non-Dairy Probiotic Fermented Drink

by Sarah Suffys, Dorothée Goffin, Gaëtan Richard, Adrien Francis, Eric Haubruge and Marie-Laure Fauconnier

Molecules 2023, 28(16), 6084; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28166084 - 16 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1246

Abstract

At the dawn of a food transition encouraging the consumption of healthy and sustainable non-dairy probiotic products, the development of a fermented functional drink based on Sobacha is considered. Sobacha is an infusion of roasted buckwheat seeds widely consumed in Asian countries for its health benefits. As fermentation improves the nutritional and organoleptic status of grains, the mixed fermentation process involved in the development of kombucha beverages (fermented sweet tea) is conducted by inoculating a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts into the transposable matrix (Sobacha instead of tea). Sobacha, a healthy pseudo-cereal matrix with promising aromas, could be fermented to potentially develop an innovative drink, named “Hakko Sobacha”. This neologism would reveal the fermented character of the infusion, Hakko meaning fermented in Japanese. Considering the beverage characterization, the kinetics of the volatile organic compound syntheses were determined using stir-bar sorptive extraction followed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analysis. Odor-active compounds were theoretically calculated to estimate the flavor composition. Finally, sensory analyses highlighted the appreciation and preferences of the consumer towards the beverages. The fermentative yield differences observed between the two buckwheat concentration modalities tested seemed to be correlated with the sugar and nutrient levels available from the starch (buckwheat) matrix. Having characterized Hakko Sobacha, this study proposed the possibility of developing new beverages by monitoring the fermentative process. This should enable improved control and enhancement of their sensorial properties, which could in turn lead to greater customer acceptability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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19 pages, 1523 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Yogurt and Its Components on the Deodorization of Raw and Fried Garlic Volatiles

by Manpreet Kaur and Sheryl Barringer

Molecules 2023, 28(15), 5714; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28155714 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 7780

Abstract

Garlic contains sulfur volatiles that cause a bad odor after consumption. The objective of this study was to understand how yogurt and its components cause deodorization. Raw and fried garlic samples were mixed with various treatments and measurements of volatiles were conducted using a selected-ion flow-tube mass spectrometer. Frying garlic significantly reduced almost all sulfur volatile compounds. Raw garlic was deodorized more than fried garlic by all of the treatments. Fat, protein and water significantly reduced the concentration of sulfur-based volatiles in garlic. At the same concentration, either fat or protein produced higher deodorization, depending on the hydrophobicity of the volatile. Whey protein, casein and their complex all caused deodorization. Increasing the pH to 7 or heating changed the structure of the proteins and decreased the deodorization of the volatiles, showing the importance of proteins for deodorization. As the quantity of fat increased, the deodorization of the volatiles also increased. Foods with higher fat or protein content can be formulated to offer a potential solution to reduce the unpleasant odor associated with garlic consumption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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15 pages, 1396 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Chemosensoric Properties of Commercially Available Dog Foods Using Electronic Sensors and GC-MS/O Analysis

by Hyangyeon Jeong, Moon Yeon Youn, Sojeong Yoon, Seong Jun Hong, Seong Min Jo, Kyeong Soo Kim, Eun Ju Jeong, Hyun-Wook Kim and Eui-Cheol Shin

Molecules 2023, 28(14), 5509; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145509 - 19 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1211

Abstract

Pet owners think of their animals as part of their family, which further promotes the growth of the pet food market, encouraging pet owners to select nutritious, palatable, and high-quality foods for pets. Therefore, the evaluation of taste and volatile compounds in pet foods is essential to improve palatability. In this study, the sensory characteristics of taste and odor compounds in 10 commercially available dry dog foods were investigated using electronic tongue (E-tongue), electronic nose (E-nose), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC-O). Dry dog foods were separated based on the sensory properties of taste and volatile compounds through the multivariate analysis of integrated results of the E-tongue and E-nose. A total of 67 odor active compounds were detected through GC-MS and GC-O, and octanal, nonanal, 2-pentyl furan, heptanal, and benzaldehyde were identified as key odor compounds which may have positive effects on food intake. The multivariate analysis was used to classify samples based on key odor compounds. Volatile compounds responsible for aroma properties of samples were evaluated using GC-O and multivariate analysis in this present study for the first time. These results are expected to provide fundamental data for sensory evaluation in producing new dog foods with improved palatability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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18 pages, 1655 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical and Sensory Characterization of Xinomavro Red Wine Using Grapes from Protected Designations of Northern Greece

by Elli Goulioti, David W. Jeffery, Alexandros Kanapitsas, Despina Lola, Georgios Papadopoulos, Andrea Bauer and Yorgos Kotseridis

Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5016; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28135016 - 27 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1484

Abstract

Despite Xinomavro (Vitis vinifera L.) being a well-known noble red grape variety of northern Greece, little is known about its ‘‘bouquet’’ typicity. Volatile compounds of Xinomavro wines produced using a common vinification protocol were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and sensory descriptive analysis was carried out with a trained panel. Wines were characterized by the presence of fatty acids, ethyl and acetate esters, and alcohols, with contributions from terpenes and a volatile phenol. The most active aroma compounds were determined to be 3-methylbutyl acetate, β-damascenone, ethyl esters of octanoic and hexanoic acids, and eugenol. Those compounds positively correlated with fruity and spicy odor descriptors, with the wines being mostly characterized by five typical aroma terms: strawberry, berry fruit, spices, tomato, and green bell pepper. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis was used to visualize relationship between the orthonasal sensory attributes and the volatile aroma compounds with calculated OAVs > 1. Key aroma-active volatiles in the wines were identified using GC-MS/olfactometry, providing a list of 40 compounds, among which 13 presented a modified detection frequency > 70%. This study is the first of its kind and provided strong indications regarding the aroma compounds defining the sensory characteristics of Xinomavro wines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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16 pages, 1385 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Combined Effect of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Galactomyces geotrichum Fermentation on the Aroma Composition of Sour Whey

by Kamila Szudera-Kończal, Kamila Myszka, Piotr Kubiak, Natalia Drabińska and Małgorzata Anna Majcher

Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4308; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114308 - 24 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1374

Abstract

The increase in demand for food flavorings due to the shortening and simplification of food production technology also entails an increase in the demand for new technologies for their production. The biotechnological production of aromas is a solution characterized by a high efficiency, an independence from environmental factors and a relatively low cost. In this study, the influence of the implementation of lactic acid bacteria pre-fermentation into the production of aroma compounds by Galactomyces geotrichum on a sour whey medium on the intensity of the obtained aroma composition was analyzed. The monitoring of the culture in terms of biomass buildup, the concentration of selected compounds, and the pH resulted in the confirmation of interactions between the analyzed microorganisms. The post-fermentation product underwent a comprehensive sensomic analysis for the identification and quantification of the aroma-active compounds. The use of gas chromatography−olfactometry (GC−O) analysis and the calculation of odor activity values (OAVs) allowed 12 key odorants to be identified in the post-fermentation product. The highest OAV was found for phenylacetaldehyde with a honey odor (1815). The following compounds with the highest OAVs were 2,3-butanedione with a buttery aroma (233), phenylacetic acid with a honey aroma (197), 2,3-butanediol with a buttery aroma (103), 2-phenylethanol with a rosy aroma (39), ethyl octanoate with a fruity aroma (15), and ethyl hexanoate with a fruity aroma (14). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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Review

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17 pages, 2030 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances in the Application of Direct Injection Mass Spectrometry Techniques to the Analysis of Grape, Wine and Other Alcoholic Beverages

by Andrea Romano, Vittorio Capozzi, Iuliia Khomenko and Franco Biasioli

Molecules 2023, 28(22), 7642; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28227642 - 17 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 955

Abstract

Direct injection mass spectrometry (DIMS) entails the direct introduction of a gaseous sample into a mass analyser without prior treatment or separation. DIMS techniques offer the opportunity to monitor processes in time, with limits of detection as low as 0.5 parts per trillion in volume (for a 1 s measurement time) while providing results with high informational content. This review provides insight into current and promising future developments of DIMS in the analysis of grape, wine and other alcoholic beverages. Thanks to its unique characteristics, DIMS allows the online monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by grapes during fermentative bioprocesses or by wine directly from the glass headspace or during drinking. A DIMS-based approach can also be adopted to perform quality control and high-throughput analysis, allowing us to characterise the volatile profile of large sample sets rapidly and in a comprehensive fashion. Furthermore, DIMS presents several characteristic elements of green analytical chemistry approaches, catalysing an interest linked to the development of sustainable paths in research and development activities in the field of viticulture and oenology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Food Flavor and Volatile Compounds Analysis)

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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Study and development of a functional beverage based on Sobacha (a japanese infusion of roasted buckwheat seeds) - characterization of flavors through volatile organic compounds analysis and evaluation of consumer acceptance through sensory analysis
Authors: Sarah Suffys; Eric Haubruge; Dorothée Goffin; Marie-Laure Fauconnier
Affiliation: 1 Laboratory of Gastronomic Sciences, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Liège University, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium 2 Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Molecules, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Liège University, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
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