Characterization and extraction of volatile compounds from pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merril) processing residues

• Published in: Ciência e tecnologia de alimentos 2013-12, Vol.33 (4), p.638-645
• Main Authors: Barretto, Lília Calheiros de Oliveira, Moreira, Jane de Jesus da Silveira, Santos, João Antônio Belmino dos, Narendra, Narain, Santos, Raquel Anne Ribeiro dos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• ISSN: 1678-457X; 1678-457X
• DOI: 10.1590/S0101-20612013000400007

The aim of this study was to extract and identify volatile compounds from pineapple residues generated during concentrated juice processing. Distillates of pineapple residues were obtained using the following techniques: simple hydrodistillation and hydrodistillation by passing nitrogen gas. The volatile compounds present in the distillates were captured by the solid-phase microextraction technique. The volatile compounds were identified in a system of high resolution gas chromatography system coupled with mass spectrometry using a polyethylene glycol polar capillary column as stationary phase. The pineapple residues constituted mostly of esters (35%), followed by ketones (26%), alcohols (18%), aldehydes (9%), acids (3%) and other compounds (9%). Odor-active volatile compounds were mainly identified in the distillate obtained using hydrodistillation by passing nitrogen gas, namely decanal, ethyl octanoate, acetic acid, 1-hexanol, and ketones such as γ-hexalactone, γ-octalactone, δ-octalactone, γ-decalactone, and γ-dodecalactone. This suggests that the use of an inert gas and lower temperatures helped maintain higher amounts of flavor compounds. These data indicate that pineapple processing residue contained important volatile compounds which can be extracted and used as aroma enhancing products and have high potential for the production of value-added natural essences.