Identification of Volatile Compounds in Blackcurrant Berries: Differences among Cultivars.

Sandy Pagès-Hélary,Nathalie Cayot,Laurence Dujourdy

doi:10.3390/molecules26206254

Abstract

Berries of blackcurrant are known to produce a strong flavor. Some previous studies have reported that a given cultivar of blackcurrant can produce berries with a specific profile of volatile compounds. For the Burgundy region in France, the Noir de Bourgogne cultivar is especially important because it is the main ingredient of a liquor with a designation of origin. The aim of the present study was to characterize the volatile fractions of berries from 15 cultivars in order to explore the possibility of using different cultivars for liquor production. The plants were cultivated under the same conditions and harvested in the same year. The volatile fractions of the harvested berries were analyzed using HS-SPME-GC-MS. Thorough univariate statistical analysis and multivariate analysis were applied to the dataset, which made it possible to identify groups within cultivars. The Rosenthal cultivar exhibited a quite flat profile; the Lositkia, Ben Tiran, and Barchatnaia cultivars shared common features; the Noir de Bourgogne cultivar showed the highest amounts of molecules such as 3-carene, limonene, β-phellandrene, ocimene, α-terpinolene, and bicyclogermacrene. None of the studied varieties were close to the Noir de Bourgogne on the basis of VOC analysis.

Highlights

Blackcurrant berries (Ribes nigrum L.) are cultivated in different countries around the world for diverse uses; for instance, as perfumes, jams, or juices or as coloring matter or an ingredient for alcoholic beverages [1]
In order to get these designations of origin [2,3], liquors have to be produced mainly from the Noir de Bourgogne cultivar, which is responsible for the special taste of these liquors
The present study focused on the volatile fraction of blackcurrant berries from different cultivars, including Noir de Bourgogne

Summary

Introduction

Blackcurrant berries (Ribes nigrum L.) are cultivated in different countries around the world for diverse uses; for instance, as perfumes, jams, or juices or as coloring matter or an ingredient for alcoholic beverages [1]. In France, blackcurrant is mainly cultivated in four different areas: Val de Loire, Oise, Vallée du Rhône, and Burgundy. For the Burgundy region, blackcurrant is especially important because it is the main ingredient of blackcurrant liquor, which is an emblem of this area. The liquors cassis de Dijon and cassis de Bourgogne both hold designations of origin. In order to get these designations of origin [2,3], liquors have to be produced mainly from the Noir de Bourgogne cultivar, which is responsible for the special taste of these liquors.

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