title: Aroma characterization of tangerine hybrids by gas-chromatography-olfactometry and sensory evaluation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tangerines have a distinct flavor among citrus fruit. However, information on tangerine volatiles remains limited. Volatile compounds from a breeding population of tangerines were earlier identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In this study, five hybrids with a distinct volatile profile were analyzed by gas-chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and descriptive sensory analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-nine aroma active compounds were found in a consensus by GC-O. Aldehydes were the most important group with odor activity, as well as monoterpenes, esters, alcohols and ketones. 1,8-Cineole, β-myrcene, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, hexanal, ethyl-2-methylbutanoate, and linalool were perceived with high intensity in most samples. Two 'Clementine' × 'Minneola' and one 'Fortune' × 'Murcott' hybrids with tangerine, sulfury and woody/spicy flavors had aroma active compounds with terpeney, fatty/vegetable and metallic/rubber descriptors. A tangerine with 'Valencia' orange in its parentage had a characteristic orange flavor, which could be explained by esters and ketones, high in fruity and floral odor intensities. A hybrid of unknown origin had a distinct fruity-non-citrus and pumpkin/fatty flavor; that sample had the lowest amount of aroma-active volatiles, with the least compounds with terpeney odors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no one compound characteristic of tangerine flavor. Nevertheless, each sample sensory characteristic could be explained by a set of aroma-active volatile compounds.
authors.affiliation: University of Florida-IFAS, Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plotto
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: José I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Reyes-De-Corcuera
authors.forename: Fred G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Gmitter
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis; D002678:Chimera / Q000378:metabolism*; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005410:Flame Ionization; D005431:Florida; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000032:analysis; D009812:Odorants; D011786:Quality Control; D012677:Sensation; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013649:Taste; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds