Occurrence of Volatile Mono- and Sesquiterpenoids in Highland and Lowland Plant Species as Possible Precursors for Flavor Compounds in Milk and Dairy Products

Abstract

This paper examines the distribution of mono- and sesquiterpene secondary metabolites in 47 plants present in grazing areas from which cheeses are produced. In total, 54 terpenoid volatiles, derived from both highland and lowland plants, were obtained by a gaseous purge-and-trap system without the use of organic solvents and then identified by automated GC/MSD-FID analysis using mass spectral libraries, retention indices, and data acquired by the authors with authentic substances. Single ion monitoring proved valuable in identifying overlapping compounds with similar spectra for the subsequent semiquantitative determination of compositions. These are displayed as radar plots. It is suggested that flavor/aroma differences in cheeses produced from animals grazing in different areas and seasons arise from species (n = 38), phenological stages (n = 8), locations (n = 4), and seasonal variation in terpenoids present (the most common were trans-β-ocimene, limonene, and trans-β-caryophyllene). This hypothesis is supported by the fact that distinct variations in terpenoids with differing odor descriptors and abundances were found. It is also possible that terpenes with a higher polarity are less efficiently recovered by the purge-and-trap method than compounds of lower polarity. As the radar plots display relative concentrations based on detection limits, the relative efficiency of detection for different classes of compounds needs to be taken into consideration. Keywords: GC/MS; flavor; volatile; monoterpene; sesquiterpene; plant; highland; lowland; pasture; retention index

Free fatty acids and other volatile compounds for the characterisation of “Vastedda della valle del Belìce” cheese Acidos grasos libres y otros constituyentes volátiles para la caracterización de queso “Vastedda della vella del Belìce”

“…The terpenes and hydrocarbons identified are probably because of the sheep feeding (Dumont & Adda, 1979). Some authors demonstrated that benzyl compounds, including toluene, come from the degradation of carotene in milk (Johnson, Nursten, & Self, 1969), whereas terpenes come from the pasture diet of the animals (Mariaca et al, 1997). Particularly, Figura 1.…”

Relationships between ruminant management and sensory characteristics of cheeses: a review

“…These plant-specific molecules, when concentrated, have recognised aromatic properties. They abound in certain species, dicotyledons in particular [26,74]. These molecules very rapidly pass into the milk [124] and are found in cheese in a much greater quantity when the animals are fed dicotyledon-rich natural grass forage than when they are fed concentratebased rations [85], or monospecific forage [13,15,17,123].…”

Relationships between flavour and chemical composition of Abondance cheese derived from different types of pastures

“…Cheeses M and VX, which were the most rich in terpenes, were made from the most terpene-rich milks [15]. According to Bugaud et al [15] and Viallon et al [40], the terpene composition of milk depends on that of the forage consumed, which in turn depends on the botanical composition of the forage [14,33]. Most notably, M and VX pastures where dicotyledons -in particular umbelliferae, composites and plantaginaceae -were predominant, were the most terpene-rich, both in terms of diversity and quantity [14].…”