Selecting odorant compounds to enhance sweet flavor perception by gas chromatography/olfactometry-associated taste (GC/O-AT)

Abstract

Gas chromatography/olfactometry-associated taste (GC/O-AT) analysis combined with mass spectrometry allowed identification of odorant compounds associated with taste attributes (sweet, salty, bitter and sour) in a multi-fruit juice. Nine compounds were selected for their odor-associated sweetness enhancement in a multi-fruit juice odor context using Olfactoscan and for their odor-induced sweet taste enhancement in sucrose solution and sugar-reduced fruit juice through sensory tests. Sweetness of the fruit juice odor was significantly enhanced by methyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate and linalool; sweet perception was significantly enhanced in 7% sucrose solution by ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, furaneol and γ-decalactone, and in 32% sugar-reduced fruit juice by ethyl 2-methylbutanoate. GC/O-AT analysis is a novel, efficient approach to select odorants associated with a given taste. The further screening of taste-associated odorants by Olfactoscan helps to identify the most efficient odorants to enhance a target taste perception and may be used to find new ways to modulate taste perception in foods and beverages.

Keywords: (E)-β-ionone (PubChem CID: 638014); (E)-β-o-cimene (PubChem CID: 5281553); 2-Phenylethanol (PubChem CID: 6054); Ethyl 2-methylbutanoate (PubChem CID: 24020); Ethyl-butanoate (PubChem CID: 7762); Fruit juice; Furaneol (PubChem CID: 3658–77-3); Gas chromatography olfactometry; Linalool (PubChem CID: 6549); Methyl 2-methylbutanoate (PubChem CID: 13357); Odor-induced taste; Olfactoscan; Phenylmethanol (PubChem CID: 244); Sweetness; β-Damascenone (PubChem CID: 5366074); γ-Decalactone (PubChem CID: 12813).