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Volatile organic compounds released by enzymatic reactions in raw nonpareil almond kernel

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Abstract

Benzaldehyde is well recognized as the predominant aroma in bitter almond (Prunus dulcis var amara) and is released from amygdalin upon enzymatic hydrolysis followed by a loss of hydrogen cyanide. Sweet almond (Prunus dulcis Mill. D.A. Webb) has a sweeter, nuttier aroma than the bitter variety. While benzaldehyde is detected in raw sweet almond, it is not the predominant compound contributing to aroma due to the lower level of amygdalin. Although a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sweet almond have been identified, the identity of VOCs due to enzymatic reactions in sweet almond has not been well documented. In this study, we investigated the VOCs released by enzymatic reactions in raw nonpareil (sweet) almond kernel samples and identified several alcohols such as isobutanol, 2-pentanol, 3-methylbutanol, 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, and 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol as the major enzyme-released VOCs. Their released amounts were greater in the sweet almond kernels than in the bitter ones analyzed, suggesting that these alcohols may contribute to the characteristic aroma in the raw sweet almond.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Karen Lapsley and Thomas Gradziel for their advice and help in obtaining samples and Lawrence Mink for technical support and advice. G. R. Hall, E. Kvavadze, C. Tutundjian de Vartavan, G. Yeghiazarian, and P. Martel also provided very helpful counsel. This work was, in part, supported by the Almond Board of California.

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None.

Compliance with Ethics Requirements

This article does not contain any experiments with human or animal subjects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Jae Kwak, Adam Faranda & George Preti

  2. Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Jae Kwak

  3. Biomolecular Archaeology Project, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Joshua M. Henkin & Patrick E. McGovern

  4. Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois, Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Joshua M. Henkin

  5. Dow Chemical, Collegeville, PA, USA

    Michelle Gallagher

  6. Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    George Preti

Authors
  1. Jae Kwak
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  2. Adam Faranda
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  3. Joshua M. Henkin
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  4. Michelle Gallagher
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  5. George Preti
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  6. Patrick E. McGovern
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Correspondence to Jae Kwak.

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Kwak, J., Faranda, A., Henkin, J.M. et al. Volatile organic compounds released by enzymatic reactions in raw nonpareil almond kernel. Eur Food Res Technol 241, 441–446 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-015-2463-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-015-2463-5

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