Determination of volatile phenols in virgin olive oils and their sensory significance.
Volatile phenols are strong odorants produced by microbial activity and reported in several foods, but very scarce information is available on their presence in virgin olive oils (VOOs) and on their relation with VOO chemical and sensory quality. In the present paper, a factorial experimental design was applied for the development of a suitable solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) analytical method for the analysis of volatile phenols in olive oil. The memory effects demonstrated by SPME fibres required the optimization of desorption conditions to minimize experimental errors. A series of nine volatile phenols were identified and quantified for the first time in VOOs by analyzing samples with distinct off-flavours. Their limits of detection and quantification (microg/kg) were largely below the odour detection thresholds (ODTs) calculated in this study (mg/kg), confirming the capacity of the technique to assess the target compounds at early stages of the oil sensory alteration. The odour activity values (OAVs) of volatile phenols were calculated in VOOs facilitating a first assessment of their potential importance in the aroma of the product.
Departament de Nutrició i Bromatologia, Xarxa de Referència en Tecnología dels Aliments (XaRTA), Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII, s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain. stefaniavichi@ub.edu
Stefania
S
Vichi
Agustí
A
Romero
Joan
J
Tous
Elvira López
EL
Tamames
Susana
S
Buxaderas
D000327:Adsorption; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction / Q000379:methods*; D014835:Volatilization
D000069463:Olive Oil; D010636:Phenols; D010938:Plant Oils