Volatile composition of prickly pear fruit pulp from six Spanish cultivars

Abstract

This research analyzed the volatile composition of the fruits pulp of six prickly pear cultivars (NT, NE, NO, NA, FR, and ORI) growing in Spain, by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography (GC-MS and GC-FID). A total of 35 compounds were isolated, identified, and quantified, with aldehydes, alcohols, and terpenes being the predominant chemical families, and esters, ketones, linear hydrocarbons, and terpenoids being also found. Nonanol, 2,6-nonadienal, 1-hexanol, 2-hexenal, and D-limonene were the predominant compounds. NT and FR cultivars showed the highest concentration of total volatile compounds. On the other hand, NE and NO cultivars presented the lowest concentration. Future studies on sensory evaluation are required to determine the sensory quality of the fruits of these Spanish cultivars.

Valorization of Prickly Pear [Opuntia ficus-indica(L.) Mill]: Nutritional Composition, Functional Properties and Economic Aspects

“…Even though prickly pears have no strong aroma, up to 61 compounds have been identified [32]. In a recent research [31], the studied cultivars showed aldehydes and terpenes as the most numerous compounds. Both chemical groups and alcohols were the most abundant compounds.…”

“…These compounds usually show a low concentration in fruits and their variability depends on cultivar, climatological conditions, maturity and storage conditions, among other factors [30]. In prickly pear fruit pulp, the content of these compounds varies from 3.33 mg 100 g −1 to 14.86 mg 100 g −1 [31]. Even though prickly pears have no strong aroma, up to 61 compounds have been identified [32].…”

“…However, other studies reported alcohols [32][33][34] and esters [35] as the most numerous and abundant compounds. Some predominant compounds are D-limonene (citrus notes), 2,6-nonadienal (vegetable notes), nonanol (green, melon and fatty attributes), 2-hexenal (almond, apple green, sweet and vegetable notes), and 1-hexanol (green and sweet notes), among others [31][32][33].…”

“…Although prickly pear fruits are highly valued for their health-promoting benefits, sensory analysis is needed to complete the knowledge of aroma of this fruit and the effect of the cultivar [31].…”

Profile of Volatile Aroma-Active Compounds of Cactus Seed Oil (Opuntia ficus-indica) from Different Locations in Morocco and Their Fate during Seed Roasting

“…Rodrígues et al [26] investigated the volatile compounds of the fruit pulp of different Opuntia species and showed undecane, phenylethyl alcohol, and pentyl acetate as major volatile constituents of O. ficus-indica. Very recently Andreu-Coll et al [27] extracted a total of 35 compounds from O. ficus-indica fruits: 10 aldehydes (for example, 2,6-nonadienal), 8 terpenes (β-myrcene), 7 esters (methyl-3-hexenoate), 6 alcohols (nonanol), 1 ketone (1-penten-3-one), 1 linear hydrocarbon (5-undecene), and 1 terpene (linalool). In fresh and dried fruits of Opuntia dilleniid, 56 and 43 volatile compounds, respectively, were identified with esters (6.38%), aldehydes (41.79%), alcohols (17.82%), ketones (13.39%), and alkanes (9.20%) as main classes of compounds.…”