title: Evaluation of chemical variability of cured vanilla beans (Vanilla tahitensis and Vanilla planifolia).
abstract: In order to establish a chemical fingerprint of vanilla diversity, thirty samples of V. planifolia J. W. Moore and V. tahitensis G. Jackson cured beans from seven producing countries were examined for their aroma and fatty acid contents. Both fatty acid and aroma compositions were found to vary between vanilla species and origins. Vanillin was found in higher amounts in V. planifolia (1.7-3.6% of dry matter) than in V. tahitensis (1.0-2.0%), and anisyl compounds were found in lower amounts in V. planifolia (0.05%) than in V. tahitensis (1.4%-2.1%). Ten common and long chain monounsaturated fatty acids (LCFA) were identified and were found to be characteristic of the vanilla origin. LCFA derived from secondary metabolites have discriminating compositions as they reach 5.9% and 15.8% of total fatty acids, respectively in V. tahitensis and V. planifolia. This study highlights the role of the curing method as vanilla cured beans of two different species cultivated in the same country were found to have quite similar fatty acid compositions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biodiversité Terrestre et Marine, EA 4239 Université de la Polynésie Française, BP 6570, 98702 Faaa, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brunschwig
authors.forename: François Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Collard
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.forename: Phila
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raharivelomanana
mesh_terms: D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013045:Species Specificity; D031669:Vanilla / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification