Detection of volatile compounds in Actinidia L. seeds by GC-MS method

Abstract

Berries of Actinidia L. genus plants are an excellent source of biologically active compounds. While the roles of sugars and acids in Actinidia fruit flavor are well known and described, the roles of volatile compounds that contribute to flavour and odour are more difficult to define [1]. Aroma, sweetness and acidity is one of the crucial factors that contribute to the berry flavour, which is the result of a subtle mixture of volatile compounds [2,3]. The aim of this study was to investigate volatile compounds in seeds of A.deliciosa, A.kolomikta, A.melanandra, and A.arguta. Fresh Actinidia berries were collected in August and September in 2015. Berries were stored at -80 ºC until analysis. We applied gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method by Mota et al. (2011) with modifications. For analysis seeds were picked from berries and washed with distilled water. Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction. One commercial fibre was used to extract volatiles. According to the recommendations of the supplier (Supelco, USA), the fibre coated with PDMS/DVB as stationary phases and 65- μm film thickness is the most adaptable to determine the compounds in kiwi matrix. Approximately 0,5 g of seeds sample was homogenized and was loaded in 10 ml vial and then sealed with metal cap and PTFE/silicone septa (ROTH, Germany). Then the fibre was exposed to the headspace for 20 min in 50 ºC. Afterwards, the fibre was pulled into the needle sheath and the SPME device was removed from the vial and inserted into the injection port of the GC system for thermal desorption at 260 °C for 1 minute. All samples were analyzed in triplicate. Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Analyses. HS-SPME analysis was performed using a Shimadzu GC- 2010 gas chromatograph and mass spectrophotometer GC-MS-QP2010, and workstation software GC-MS solution version 2.71 (Shimadzu Corporation, Japan).[...]