Identification of Important Volatiles in Fresh and Processing Carrot Varieties: Using Kuroda and Flakee Types

Abstract

Carrots, like most other vegetables, are classified into fresh or processing varieties in the food industry. To describe differences in volatile profiles and identify important volatiles among the carrot varieties of each type, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the composition of individual volatiles in 12 carrot varieties, including 7 Kuroda (fresh) and 5 Flakee (processing) types. Fifty-four volatiles were identified and quantified. β-Myrcene, terpinolene, sabinene and 1,3,8-p-menthatriene were detected as odor-active volatiles by GC-olfactometry. PCA distinguished Kuroda from Flakee by PC1. β-Myrcene and sabinene also had high PCA loading values, and were shown to play an important role in the characteristics of Flakee. On the other hand, thymol methyl ether and caryophyllenes, especially caryophyllene oxide, were representative volatiles in Kuroda. Thus, these volatiles might be useful as novel molecular markers in the development of new, high-quality carrots.