The volatile odor-active compounds of cooked rice were evaluated using a method that combined solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with gas chromatography-resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/REMPI-TOFMS). An SPME fiber was held at the upper levels of the cooked rice and given an extraction time of 5 min. By using a nanosecond ultraviolet (266 nm) pulsed laser for ionization, two compounds, 4-vinylphenol and indole, which are considered to be important for the characteristic flavor of cooked rice, could be detected from all types of cultivars measured in the present study-nonglutinous rice, glutinous rice, and aromatic rice. In the case of fresh nonglutinous rice, the amounts of introduction for 4-vinylphenol and indole to GC were ca. 70 and 20 pg, respectively. While both peak areas decreased with increases in the time needed to maintain warmth, the decreasing behaviors differed slightly with a noteworthy rapid decrease for indole. For nonglutinous rice, the peak areas for 4-vinylphenol were almost the same, whether it was fresh (measured within 1 month from harvest) or aged (measured 6-12 months after harvest), but those of indole significantly decreased following storage. We also found differences among cultivars: the peak area for 4-vinylphenol in nonglutinous rice was somewhat strong; the peak area for indole was intensely strong in glutinous rice; however, the peak areas for both 4-vinylphenol and indole were weak in aromatic rice. Volatile odor-active compounds were detected in a sensitive and time-resolved manner; therefore, the proposed method could be useful for differentiating varieties of cooked rice from the viewpoints of cooking conditions, freshness, and cultivar types.
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