Abstract
Watermelon rind is treated as agricultural waste and commonly discarded, causing environmental issues and biomass loss. This study aimed to identify volatile profiles of watermelon rind and flesh and their cultivar difference. Volatiles were analyzed using solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). A total of 132 volatiles were identified, including aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, terpenes/terpenoids, esters, lactones, acids, and sulfides. In both rind and flesh, the most dominant compounds in numbers and abundance (peak area) were aldehydes and alcohols, which accounted 94–96% of the total volatile abundance in the rind and 85–87% in the flesh. Total volatile in watermelon rind was only 28–58% of the corresponding flesh samples. Both rind and flesh shared nine-carbon aldehydes and alcohols, though the rind lacked additional diversity. Volatile difference between rind and flesh was greater than the difference among cultivars, although volatiles in the rind could be two times difference between Fascination and other three watermelons (Captivation, Exclamation, and Excursion). This study provides the first-hand knowledge regarding watermelon rind volatile profiles and cultivar difference and shows the potential use of rind in food or beverages due to its naturally contained nine-carbon compounds.
Highlights
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is globally consumed, possessing unique organoleptic properties, hydration function, and well-studied health benefits owed to its red flesh, though verities with orange and yellow flesh produced [1]
Volatile profiles of four watermelon rinds were investigated for the first time in this study
Fewer volatile compounds were recovered from watermelon rind compared to flesh, and volatiles were much lower in abundance in the rind
Summary
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is globally consumed, possessing unique organoleptic properties, hydration function, and well-studied health benefits owed to its red flesh, though verities with orange and yellow flesh produced [1]. Watermelon flesh accounts for approximately 60% of the total watermelon mass [2]. The edible rind makes up approximately 40% of the total watermelon mass yet is often discarded as waste [4]. The specialized function of the rind’s polysaccharide composition (pectin and fiber) has been considered a potential reason for its reuse [2,5]. Approaches have been introduced to reduce the accumulation of solid watermelon waste by converting the rind’s polysaccharides into other products such as biosorbent [6,7], bioremediation [8], biochar [9], and bioethanol [4]
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