Phenolic content of Vanilla planifolia as affected by harvest period

Abstract

Vanilla, vanillic acid, and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (HBA) content of Vanilla planifolia were measured from beans harvested from August to December, 1986. The moisture content of the beans decreased from 87.6 to 81.4%. Vanillic acid remained constant, and both vanillin and HBA increased from 0.20 and 0.05 to 11.3 and 1.03 mg/g dry weight, respectively. The higher phenolic content could be attributed to a fermentation on the vine; however, no correlation was observed between the extract color (i.e., green vs brown) and the vanillin content.