Influence of sulphate nutrition on the flavour components of garlic (Allium sativum) and wild onion (A. vineale)

Abstract

Investigation of the relationship between the swlphate nutrition of garlic (Allium sativum) and wild onion (A. vineale) and their flavour strength is now reported. The plants were grown in a glasshouse in sand culture at two concentrations ofsulphate in the nutrient medium and their flavour strength determined by sensory, biochemical and gas chromatographic methods. These observations have furnished further examples of environmental control of flavour components. The garlic plants in the two groups differed significantly in their fresh weights per plant. Their sulphur contents also showed that deficiency of this nutrient had been established in spite of the relatively large amount of sulphur introduced in the original cloves. The ratios of total sulphur content in the two groups ofplants and of their flavour strengths as determined by totalpyruvate values and taste threshold concentrations, respectively, were approximately constant (about 5). Total peak areas in the gas chromatograms increased with increasing (sensory) flavour strength. The garlic plants grown in sand culture were morphologically atypical, possibly because of the high moisture content of the growth medium, but their odour, taste and gas chromatograms were qualitatively indistinguishable from those of field-grown garlic which grew normally. Similar but more pronounced differences of flavour strengths were obtained with A. vineale and in this case the difference in flavour strengths between the deficient and normal plants was about 13-fold. The gas chromatograms of the deficient plants were almost completely lacking in the peaks which are characteristic of Allium sp.The discrepancies between initial and final sulphur contents of the deficient plants are discussed.

Inhibition of Carcinogen-Induced DNA Damage in Rat Liver and Colon by Garlic Powders With Varying Alliin Content

“…The cultural conditions may modify the composition of garlic significantly. The amount of sulfur in garlic bulbs grown in sand culture in a greenhouse is influenced by the level of sulfate in the nutrient medium (4). Therefore, manipulating growing conditions to increase the OSC content of garlic could be a key for optimizing the benefits of garlic.…”

Onion Plant Growth, Bulb Quality, and Water Uptake following Ammonium and Nitrate Nutrition

“…Increased pungency with NO 3 -N was not expected because sulfur would be less available, as ammonium sulfate was deleted from the N-form ratio. Pungency has been positively correlated with sulfur fertilization rate (Freeman and Mossadeghi, 1970). The 1:0 ratio resulted in the lowest percentage of sulfur, albeit the N was derived from ammonium sulfate (Table 4).…”

Asparagus, Urinary Odor, and 1,2-Dithiolane-4-Carboxylic Acid

“…It is highly likely that the emergence (or amplification) of the resultant urinary odor was associated with a sulfur-containing component within asparagus. It is known that garlic and onions grown in the presence of low levels of sulfur (mainly sulfate) have a very weak or nonexistent flavor and lose their lachrymatory properties (Freeman and Mossadeghi 1971;Platenius 1941). …”