Flavor and Aroma

OH

O OCH3 OH O H

OH
CH2 linalool
OH
OCH3

Biology
O H methylsalicylate benzaldehyde OH
eugenol
CH2
phenylethanol O H

CH2
OH linalool
limonene
phenylacetaldehyde
phenylacetaldehyde

linalool

O
OH
O
OH
neral geranial

OH
OH linalool
linalool CH2

nerolidol
phenylethanol limonene

OH

Florence Zakharov OH
OH
CH2

Department of Plant Sciences geraniol

phenylethanol

linalool

Sensory Attributes of Foods Taste

Taste is the sensation perceived in the mouth,
Taste more specifically on the tongue.
+
Aroma
= • Sweet 5 TASTES
FLAVOR • Salty
• Bitter
Flavor is the combined sensation perceived via the chemical • Sour (acid)
senses (taste, smell, chemical irritation) from a food in the
mouth. • Umami (protein – savory)

Produce Composition and Aroma

Taste Perception Aroma (or smell or odor) is the sensation perceived
Quality Class of compound Examples
when volatile compounds are sniffed through the
nose.
Sweet Sugars Sucrose, fructose,
glucose

Some proteins Thaumatin, monellin

Sour Acids Citric acid, tartaric Orthonasal route Retronasal route

acid, malic acid

Bitter Alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, Isocoumarins, quinine,

terpenoids limonoids

Umami Amino acids Glutamate, aspartate

Salty Ions Sodium, calcium

1
 Taste and Aroma What is a volatile compound?
• A small molecule which has a high tendency to
• Taste and aroma are evaporate.
very closely linked.
• Volatiles are naturally produced by plants
• If you want to only (flowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs…) and animals.
TASTE something, you They can also be made artificially (by chemical
need to pinch your nose reactions designed for their production).
to avoid perceiving the
volatiles in foods or
drinks.

What is a volatile compound? How does a volatile smell like?

• Each single volatile compound has a distinct
smell.
• Scientists have identified
more than 2,000 different
volatile compounds in -ionone Dimethyl disulfide Myrcene
nature (plants).

Roman Kaiser, Givaudan

Floral, woody, Sulfurous, Peppery, spicy

sweet, fruity, vegetable,
berry, green cabbage, onion

Character-impact volatiles What is “aroma”?

• A natural aroma, smell or odor is typically made
Vanillin 2-isobutyl
3-methoxypyrazine up of tens or sometimes hundreds of different
volatile compounds.

• A mixture of volatile compounds is not perceived

as “the sum of its parts”: volatiles interact to create
a unique, distinct, aroma.

2
 The Aroma of a Strawberry Aroma Biology

How are aroma volatiles made in plants?

Over 200 volatile
compounds !!
How is aroma volatile production regulated
in fruits/vegetables?

What are the impacts of cultural practices and

postharvest storage on aroma formation?

Metabolic Pathways:
CO2 Diversity and Complexity

A B C D E
Calvin
Cycle Sugars Sugars F R
Glycolysis J G H I Q

Volatiles More carb.

K L N O P
Pigments Acids
Proteins
M

Sugar
Fatty Acid Derivatives Aroma Biology
Amino Acid Derivatives
Volatile
PEP How are aroma volatiles made in plants?
Benzenoids
Pyruvate Acetyl-CoA
Volatile
Phenylpropanoids
• There are more than 2,000 volatiles known to date in plants.
Phenylalanine About 900 different volatiles have been reported in fruits and
Sesquiterpenes vegetables.
Lignins
Monoterpenes Sterols
• Scientists have identified genes involved in the synthesis of
Flavonoids
Other terpenoids Other terpenoids less than 10% of all volatiles known.
Anthocyanins Carotenoids
Chlorophyll
Polyphenolics Volatile Carotenoid
Derivatives

3
 Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase: Alcohol Acyl Transferase:
a gene involved in tomato aroma a gene involved in strawberry
formation aroma formation
VAAT
CCD SAAT
-carotene -ionone + +
CM-AATs
Alcohol Acyl-CoA BanAAT Volatile Ester CoA
AAT
CCD
Lycopene Geranylacetone

Octyl Acetate Hexyl Acetate

Simkin et al., 2004 Aharoni et al., 2000

Aroma Biology Regulation of Aroma Formation

How is aroma volatile production regulated

in fruits/vegetables?

• In climacteric fruits, ethylene plays an important role in

triggering aroma formation during fruit ripening.

Ayub et al., 1996

Regulation of Aroma Formation Aroma Biology

What are the impacts of cultural practices and

Postharvest storage on aroma formation?

• Pre-harvest factors

Supply of carbon (sugars) to

the fruit, water stress, light,
temperature, plant
diseases…
El-Sharkawy et al., 2005

4
 Aroma Biology Is there hope?...
• Postharvest factors Quality-oriented practices
Temperature • Understand the physiology of commodity, select cultivars
with optimum flavor quality.
• Cold slows down metabolism (less volatiles made).
• Harvest at maximum potential (riper) to attain (and
• Cold slows down evaporation of volatiles from fruit surface. retain) maximum flavor quality.

Ethylene Research underway…

• In climacteric fruits, aroma cannot form without ethylene.
• Improving techniques to slow down metabolism when
fruits already started to ripen.
Modified or controlled atmosphere
• Understanding aroma formation in non-climacteric
• MA or CA alters plant metabolism – risk of anaerobic fruits (independent from ethylene?).
metabolism which can cause off-odors.