Banana Flavour Research Articles

Analysis of Aroma Characteristics of 'Binzi' and 'Xiangguo' Apple-Ancient Cultivars in China.

'Binzi' (BZ) (Malus domestica subsp. chinensis var. binzi Li Y.N.) and 'Xiangguo' (XG) (Malus domestica subsp. chinensis var. xiangguo Li Y.N.) are the ancient cultivars in China. The BZ fruits have a low-fragrant flavor on harvest day but a high-fragrant flavor after storage at room temperature, while the XG fruits have a stronger flavor when mature. 'Starking' (SK) and 'Golden Delicious' (GD) fruits have a rich flavor and are recognized by all countries in the world. However, information on the differences between ancient Chinese cultivars and Western apple cultivars in aroma compounds remains unknown. The apple fruits were collected for continuous two years. Aroma compounds in the skin and pulp of the fruits were detected at room temperature (20 ± 1 °C) during storage. The dynamics of VOCs in BZ and SK fruits were more similarly reflected in esters, while those of XG and GD fruits were reflected in aldehydes and alcohols. Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, with an extremely low odor threshold, was the main source of typical apple flavor in SK, BZ, and XG fruits, while hexyl acetate was the source of the banana flavor in GD fruits. 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one and β-damascenone were the important ketones produced in the later stage of storage, derived from the carotenoid metabolism pathway and providing a citrus and rose flavor to the four apple cultivars. SK had the highest number of characteristic aroma components, which were mainly derived from the amino acid metabolism pathway, providing fruits with a sweet and fruity flavor. Although the characteristic aroma components of GD were derived from the fatty acid metabolic pathway, the number of volatile esters was lower. Ethyl butyrate, derived from the saturated fatty acid metabolism, had the highest content in BZ, providing a pineapple flavor; the flavor of XG was mainly derived from ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, and β-damascenone. Therefore, we suggest BZ and XG apples as the aroma-breeding material with which to enrich new cultivars' aroma components, derived from the fatty acid metabolism and carotenoid metabolism pathways, respectively.

Functionalized ZnFe2O4@Mesoporous silica nano-support for lipase enzyme immobilization: Enhanced biocatalysis and antibacterial activity for food industry applications

Enzymes, as highly efficient biocatalysts, play a crucial role in diverse biotechnological applications. However, enzyme (re)purification and recovery challenges pose substantial obstacles, rendering them costly for industrial utilization. Addressing this, our study developed mesoporous zinc ferrite nanoparticles coated with amine-functionalized mesoporous silica structure (ZnFe2O4@MS) through the solvothermal method. These nanoparticles are an effective nano-support for immobilizing Candida rugosa Lipase (CRL), ensuring easy separability and recoverability through a magnetic field and providing a significant surface area for high mass transference capacity. Immobilizing the lipase on the nano-support (ZnFe2O4@MS/CRL) through covalent bonds on the surface and within the pores led to a notable increase in enzyme activity from 324 U/mg for free enzyme to 689 U/mg for immobilized enzyme. This indicates unchanged active sites post-immobilization, accompanied by enhanced catalytic activity. The immobilized lipases demonstrated prolonged stability at elevated temperatures, maintaining over 59% of initial catalytic activity through five cycles. Furthermore, ZnFe2O4@MS/CRL exhibited substantial antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, more than that observed in Gram-negative bacteria. The immobilized lipase was also effective in synthesizing banana flavor (isoamyl acetate) in n-hexane, achieving 64% esterification at 45 °C after 4 h. Overall, the study underscores the industrial promise of this immobilized enzyme system, emphasizing its potential for sustainable and cost-effective biotechnological processes.

A study on processing bottled banana-flavored herb tea

Herb tea is tending to be consumed widely and increasingly in the world. In Vietnam, banana is one of the most popular fruits, but their peels are often wasted which can be reproduced in food processing. The purpose of this study was to determine the combination of banana-flavored water mixed with other herb extraction to create a kind of herbal drink meeting demand’s consumers. Therefore, banana peels were extracted directly in boiling water to create steam and condense water with a strong banana flavor. The optimal volume of banana-flavored water was 25 mL added into 100 mL herbal extract water. Among seven studied herbs, licorice with the number of 2 branches was accepted the most by panelists for herb tea’s sweetness and valued 3.8 for the taste sensory score in the 5 -point Hedonic scale. In addition, saffron with 3 branches was the best coloring agent for bright yellowness, determined 4.2 for the color sensory score. On the other hand, jujube (1 gram) was the best appropriate herb for the best flavour, well mixed with other herbs to produce the best acceptance by major panelists (the total sensory score of 14.6). The final herb tea product made by the selective recepi is potential to supply for the market a new healthy herbal drink.

Thermal stability of banana and strawberry flavouring food additives

Food additives are substances or mixtures of substances added to food products in a set amount to maintain or increase their safety, freshness, taste, nutritional values, texture and appearance. Heat treatment is frequently used for food and consequently the processes in which the additive that is added to the raw material participates must also be studied. In this study, the results of the thermal analysis of two flavors used especially in the processing of confectionery products, banana and strawberry flavours, in an inert atmosphere of nitrogen gas are presented. Experimental results indicate a lower relative stability of banana flavor (180 °C) compared to strawberry flavor (225 °C).

Peningkatan Kapasitas UMKM Wingko Riona Berkelanjutan Berbasis Kemitraan Perguruan Tinggi

The COVID 19 pandemic has had an impact on food MSMEs by Wingko Riona. Production decreased drastically from 3,000/day with a workforce requirement of 7 people, decreasing to only being able to produce 900/day with a workforce of 1 person. This decline has the effect of decreasing MSME income. University partnership-based MSME assistance aims to increase the capacity of MSMEs so that they can be sustainable. The program carried out is to increase production, namely with a product innovation training program and innovation in cooking methods other than using an oven, namely using iron frying pan equipment. The financial literacy training program was carried out to provide MSMEs with an understanding of the importance of keeping financial records and knowing the production costs required for each wingko production. The method used is lecture training and direct practice accompanied by experts and a team of lecturers and students at STIE Nusa Megarkencana. MSMEs are able to innovate wingko products with Durian, Jackfruit and Banana flavors. MSMEs know of a new way of producing wingko using equipment other than an oven, which turns out to provide better results and is easier. In Financial Literacy, MSMEs can find out how to calculate production costs correctly so they can determine production cost requirements and profits obtained at the set wingko prices. MSMEs can also understand the importance of creating cash flow and financial reports.

Physicochemical Evaluation of the Potency and Viability of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers

Background: Frequent hand washing with soap and antiseptics is vital to prevent the spread of infectious agents, but can also result in chronic skin dermatitis. This could change the skin's normal flora, leading to infectious pathogens colonization. Thus, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, which may be less irritating to the skin, and improve hygiene. Objective: The study aimed to produce alcohol-based hand sanitizers following WHO guidelines, and quantify the effects of temperature on their potency and concentrations after exposure to different environmental conditions. Method: The WHO guidelines for the production of hand sanitizer formulation were carefully followed; Ethanol (96%) was diluted to 70%, Carbomer and valina with banana flavor were used as thickening and fragrance agent receptivity. Twenty (20) products (250 mL each) selected at random were grouped into four categories – 10 bottles were subjected to Room Temperature (at 25-28°C); 5 samples with lids (unexposed) and 5 without lids (exposed), respectively while the other 10 samples were stored in the car (at 28 - 38°C); 5 samples with lids (unexposed), and 5 samples without lids (exposed), respectively. The alcohol concentration was quantified respectively with the aid of the alcohol meter daily, up to a period of 30 days (one month), and was properly recorded. Results There were significant statistical differences in the exposed hand sanitizer preparations compared to the standard at p-value ≤ 0.05. Reduction of ethanol concentration was observed from 70 - 53% of the exposed preparation. Also, for the ones exposed and unexposed in the car, the ethanol concentration dropped from 70 - 68% of the well-corked product while there was an alcohol content reduction from 70 - 41% of the exposed product in the car. Conclusion: Temperature conditions directly affect the concentration, potency, and efficacy of hand sanitizer preparations.

Palatability of Aripiprazole Gummies Prepared from Commercially Available Products: Pharmaceutical Formulation for Improving Patient Adherence.

Good adherence to medication is critical for successfully treating psychiatric disorders. Tailor-made pharmaceutical formulations can provide a suitable dosage form to meet the specific needs of individual patients who exhibit poor adherence to industrially manufactured products. Herein, we prepared aripiprazole (ARP) gummies (ARP-Gs) using a commercially available ARP formulation. We aimed to clarify the palatability of ARP-Gs by performing a gustatory sensation test in healthy volunteers. We performed two types of organoleptic masking of ARP-Gs, cocoa- and fruit-flavoured gummies (6.0 mg of ARP/3.5 g of gummy), and conducted two different gustatory sensation tests for each ARP-G. Ten young, healthy volunteers (mean ± standard deviation, 23.7 ± 1.2 years) were enrolled in each trial. The overall palatability of ARP-Gs was evaluated using the 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed between VAS scores of total ARP-G palatability and acceptability assessed using a 5-point rating scale. Among cocoa-flavoured ARP-Gs, those combining aspartame, cocoa powder, and banana flavour (ABC-ARP-G) exhibited the highest VAS scores for total palatability. Similarly, the VAS scores of grapefruit-flavoured ARP-Gs (GF-ARP-G) showed the highest values considering all fruit-flavoured ARP-Gs. The VAS scores for ABC-ARP-G and GF-ARP-G greatly exceeded the cut-off values of acceptability calculated using the ROC curve. We developed two types of ARP-Gs with organoleptic masking as tailor-made pharmaceutical formulations. ABC-ARP-Gs and GF-ARP-Gs could be acceptable in patients. ARP-Gs could be an alternative to currently available pharmaceutical formulations to enhance their adherence and meet the specific needs of individual patients.

Passive Adsorption of Aromatic Substances on Silicon Carbide and Nitrile Rubber Composites and a Comparison of the Chromatographic Profiles of Banana Candy, Fresh Banana, and “Banana” Flavor

A domestic composite material based on silicon carbide and nitrile butadiene rubber was used to identify volatile substances of banana, banana flavor, and creamy chewing candies by passive adsorption in combination with thermal desorption GC–MS. This method can be used to determine a wide range of compounds, for example, esters of carboxylic acids, terpenoids, aldehydes, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, heterocyclic compounds, phenols, glycerides, and fatty acids. The obtained chromatographic profiles of the samples were compared. In the chromatogram of “Banana” flavor, five peaks (out of eight) corresponded to the compounds that form the aroma of a banana, and in the chromatogram of “Love is” candies with banana flavor, three corresponding peaks (out of 21) were found.

Efficacy of potassium N-acetylaminosuccinate (Cogitum) in the treatment of asthenic syndrome: results of double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Study of the effectiveness of monotherapy with potassium N-acetylaminosuccinate (Cogitum) for asthenic syndrome (fatigue) in individuals, uncharacteristic somatic, neurological diseases, anxiety disorders, depression and other diseases that may interfere with asthenia. Patients with fatigue scores of 22 or more on the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) were randomly divided into the main group (MG) - 37 people, mean age 22 years [21; 24] and the control group (CG) - 34 people, mean age 21 years [19; 23]. The Trail Making Test (TMT-A and TMT-B), the assessment of general well-being on a visual analogue scale (VAS), where 0 is the worst state of health, 10 is the state of absolute well-being, was assessed. MG patients received a solution of potassium N-acetylaminosuccinate (Cogitum) 750 mg per day in a sterile container, CG patients received sterile water with banana flavor in a sterile container. The duration of the study was 21 days. Prior to the start of the study, there were no statistically significant differences in FAS, TMT, and VAS between MG and CG. After 21 days, the FAS score in the MG decreased (p=0.00001), the time of TMT-A (p=0.000012) and TMT-B (p=0.000033) decreased, the VAS score increased (p=0.00024). There were no statistically significant changes in the CG. Placebo effect was noted in 10 patients of the CG (29.4%). Potassium aminosuccinate (Cogitum) at a daily dose of 750 mg and a duration of treatment of 21 days effectively eliminates the symptoms of asthenic syndrome (fatigue), while accompanied by an improvement in complex cognitive functions. The results of our study suggest that fatigue (asthenic syndrome) and cognitive impairment may have a common pathogenetic mechanism - a deficiency of systems in which mediators are N-acetylaspartate and N-acetylaspartylglutamate. Cogitum had no side effects and was well tolerated. Cogitum is superior to placebo in the treatment of fatigue (asthenic syndrome).

Inclusion of cinnamon and banana flavorings in the diet of weaning piglets

The weaning period is one of the most critical stages in pig farming because of the stress that animals suffer when separated from their sow, along with the health challenge, fights for hierarchy, food competition and several other factors, which causes a decrease in their feed intake affecting their weight gain. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine the efficacy of including flavorings (cinnamon and banana) in the diet of recently weaned piglets on their weight gain, feed intake and feed/gain ratio. For this, 20 weaned and castrated 28-day-old male piglets weighing between 6.5 - 8 kg were randomly divided into five groups: Control treatment: unflavored food; Treatment 1: food with banana flavor; Treatment 2: food with canela flavor: Treatment 3: food with banana for 10 days - canela 10 days and banana 10 days; and Treatment 4: : food with canela for 10 days - banana 10 days and canela 10 days. The flavorings were added at 1 g/kg of the diet. The feeding period lasted 30 days for each treatment. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the statistical analysis, and differences were accepted with p <0.05. At the end of the study, it was determined that the weight gain, feed intake and feed/gain ratio were similar between the treatments (P> 0.05). From this, it can be suggested that the inclusion of flavorings (cinnamon and banana) in the diet of weaning piglets does not improve their growth performance.

Incorporation of metallic particles in activated carbon used in lipase immobilization for production of isoamyl acetate

AbstractBACKGROUNDBiotechnology has revolutionized the use of enzymes for application in industrial processes. The present work evaluated the effect of functionalizing activated carbon with metallic nanoparticles obtained from corn cob residue on lipase immobilization. The aim was to improve the enzymatic activity of the immobilized enzyme and subsequent application of derivatives in the synthesis of isoamyl acetate ester (banana flavor).RESULTSThe activated carbon (CCAC) had a mesoporous structure and specific surface area of 1135 m2 g−1, characteristic of supports from precursor material with a high cellulose content, which was reduced in metalized carbon (CCACM) due to the insertion of metallic particles (760 m2 g−1). CCACM showed a slightly higher lipase absorptive capacity than CCAC (280.72 ± 0.27 mg g−1 and 276.46 ± 0.03 mg g−1, respectively). Furthermore, for derivatives the optimal reaction medium conditions were pH 7.0 and 30 °C, confirming the advantage associated with lipase immobilization, obtaining activity values of 84.0 ± 2.12 U, 72.3 ± 1.7 U and 31.4 ± 1.9 U, for lipase immobilized on CCACM, CCAC and native form, respectively. The derivatives showed potential application in the synthesis of isoamyl acetate ester, with conversions above 90% and stability during five cycles of use.CONCLUSIONThe activated carbon metallization process showed an increase in lipase immobilization efficiency and proved to be a promising support, since there was an increase in its enzymatic activity and the derivatives obtained showed potential application in aroma synthesis, reaching conversion above 90%. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

A STUDY ON PRODUCTION OF BANANA FROZEN YOGHURT AND ASSESSING CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY

Frozen yogurt is a frozen dairy dessert made with yogurt. It’s known for its frozen texture as a dessert and higher nutritional value in comparison with ice cream. Frozen yogurt is used much like ice cream and served in a wide variety of flavors and styles around the world.
 The objective of this project was to develop a healthier frozen yoghurt with natural banana flavour, and to evaluate its sensory acceptability.
 Banana frozen yoghurt was produced with vanilla and chocolate flavors.
 The sensory acceptability of products was tested at Department of Veterinary Public health and Pharmacology (VPHP) by conducting two sensory panels. According to the results, in sensory analysis both vanilla and chocolate flavored products were equally accepted. Further studies need to be carried out to improve the product with a higher probiotic value and better texture.

ANALISIS PREFERNSI KONSUMEN PADA ATRIBUT BUAH PISANG KEPOK DI PASAR TRADISIONAL KOTA SURABAYA

Understanding consumer preferences is important in the contect of decision making of key stakeholders, including producers themselves, as well as development agencies that operate in the fruit subsector. This research aims to analyse the attributes of yellow kepok banana that became analyse the attributes most considered by the consumers on the decisions to buy yellow kepok banana at traditional market in Surabaya City. The method of this research is case study. Data were collected by interview the respondents directly at tradisional market with the questionnaires. Descrptive analytic method was applied by implementing purposive sampling to get 100 consumets as respondents in this research. The attributes observed are the color of fruit, taste of fruit, size and flavour of fruit. Respondent characteristics and consumer behaviour are analysed by descriptive. Whereas yellow kepok banana preferences were analysed by using chi square. While most considered attributes shown by the calculation of chi square. Yellow kepok banana attributes that consumers the purchase consider include : bright yellow kepok banana fruit color, the taste of yellow kepok banana is a bit sweet, medium size yellow kepok banana (10-14 cm) and sweet yellow kepok banana flavour. DOI : https://doi.org/10.33005/adv.v10i2.2914

Acceptance, nutritional content, and shelf life of cookies based on millet flour as a functional food

The purpose of this study was to determine the acceptability, nutritional content, and shelf life of cookies based on millet flour as a functional food. This type of research is a laboratory-based descriptive. Formulation cookies flour of millet is distinguished by the addition of flavorings nature of which includes millet flour cookies without additional flavorings (F1), banana flavor millet flour cookies (F2), spice flavor millet flour cookies (F3) and chocolate flavor millet flour cookies (F4). Data collection procedure was carried out by hedonic test on untrained panelists consisting of men and women aged 18-40 years as many as 25 panelists, then the selected formulations were analyzed for nutritional content and shelf life. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis method and continued with the Mann-Whitney test if the treatment had a significant effect. The panelists' acceptance showed that the formulation of millet flour cookies had no significant effect (p>0.05) on the color, taste, aroma, texture and overall cookies. The F1 cookies formula without the addition of flavoring has the highest average value of the other formulas, which is 4.16 with the preferred category. The results of the proximate test on the selected cookies include water content 6.1%, ash 2.14%, protein 8.38%, fat 30.38%, carbohydrates 53.0%, fiber 2.22%, and total energy 518.98 kcal. The shelf life of cookies using the Arrhenius approach is 14 days at a temperature of 250C, 370C, and a temperature of 440C with the results respectively 134.81 days (4.5 months), 79.18 days (2.6 months) and 59.14 days (1.9 months). While the results of the total microbial test showed that there was a decrease in total microbes in millet flour cookies stored in an incubator at 250C, 370C, and 440C for 4 weeks of storage, respectively 2.05 x 102, 1.05 x 102, and < 4 0.0 x 101, still meets the standard of SNI 01-2973:2011 with a maximum of 1 x 104 colonies/gram. Based on the results of the study, millet flour cookies can be enriched with food sources of protein and fiber so that it can increase the nutritional value of cookies as an additional food.

Combined effects of tangerine oil vapour mixed with banana flavour to enhance the quality and flavour of 'Hom Thong' bananas and evaluating consumer acceptance and responses using electroencephalography (EEG).

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of tangerine oil (TO) at 25, 50 and 75µL mixed with banana flavour (BF) at 25, 50 and 75µL to protect the quality and enhance the flavour of bananas. Then, 25µL TO + BF 50µL were selected for studying the quality of bananas stored at 13°C ± 2°C for 7days, and was used to test consumer brain responses using an electroencephalography (EEG). Results showed that mould grew and decomposition occurred in 10 and 50% of the 25µL TO + 50µL BF mixture and control, respectively, after 7days. Furthermore, this ratio increased ripening by having higher L*, b*, firmness and total soluble solid than the control (p < 0.05), whereas titratable acidity and pH were maintained (p > 0.05). The EEG demonstrated that consumption of TO-treated banana could increase brain alertness using stimulating the beta wave activity on banana stimulations for human brain. Limonene, one of the main components of TO, was found in the flesh of treated banana after storage for 4weeks and possibly interacted with other components to improve antifungal activity and brain response.

Covalent immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa on epoxy-activated cloisite 30B as a new heterofunctional carrier and its application in the synthesis of banana flavor and production of biodiesel

In this paper, an epoxy-activated cloisite (ECL) was prepared as a new heterofunctional carrier via a reaction between cloisite 30B (CL) and epichlorohydrin and utilized for covalent immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa. The lipase immobilized on the ECL (LECL) was successfully used in the olive oil hydrolysis, synthesis of isoamyl acetate (banana flavor), and biodiesel production. The TGA, FT-IR, SEM, and XRD were used to characterize CL, ECL, and LECL. The influences of temperature, pH, thermal stability, and storage capacity were examined in the olive oil hydrolysis. The effects of solvent, temperature, time, water content, and substrates molar ratio on the yields of ester and biodiesel were also investigated. In the optimized conditions, the hydrolytic activity of LECL was 1.85 ± 0.05 U/ mg, and the maximum yield of ester and biodiesel was 91.6% and 95.4%, respectively. The LECL showed good thermal stability and storage capacity compared to the free lipase. Additionally, LECL was reusable for both esterification and transesterification after being used for nine cycles.

Lipase@zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-90: A highly stable and recyclable biocatalyst for the synthesis of fruity banana flavour

A zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-90) has been synthesized through solvothermal method. The structure was characterized by means of FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The synthesized ZIF-90 was applied as a support for immobilization of porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL). The immobilized enzyme (PPL@ZIF-90) exhibited immobilization yield and efficiency of 66 ± 1.8% and 89 ± 1.4%, respectively. The pH and thermal stability of PPL was improved after immobilization and the initial activity was retained at about 57% after 20 days of storage at 4 °C for PPL@ZIF-90. Moreover, about 57% of the original activity was remained following 10 cycles of application. In Michaelis-Menten kinetic studies, Km value for PPL@ZIF-90 was lower, while, the Vmax was higher than free PPL. Moreover, optimized conditions to produce fruity banana flavour upon esterification of butyric acid were investigated. The optimum esterification yield was 73.79 ± 1.31% in the presence of 245 mg PPL@ZIF-90, alcohol/acid ratio of 2.78 and 39 h reaction time. PPL@ZIF-90 showed 39% relative esterification yield after six cycles of reuse. The results suggested that PPL@ZIF-90 can be used as a potential effective biocatalyst for synthesis of isoamyl butyrate.

Immobilization of lipase on the modified magnetic diatomite earth for effective methyl esterification of isoamyl alcohol to synthesize banana flavor.

The present study was designed to propose a simple, cost-effective, and efficient method for the preparation of a biocompatible composite made from magnetic diatomaceous earth (mDE) coated by aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and its application for immobilization of porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL). The produced mDE-APTES was instrumentally characterized and the obtained results of FTIR analysis and scanning electron microscopy equipped by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) showed successful coating of APTES on mDE surface. PPL was then immobilized onto mDE to obtain the biocatalyst of PPL@mDE (immobilization yield and efficiency of 78.0 ± 0.3% and 80.1 ± 0.6, respectively) and the presence of enzyme was confirmed by EDS method. The attained results of the reusability of PPL@mDE revealed that 57% of the initial activity was retained after 11 cycles of biocatalyst application. PPL@mDE demonstrated higher storage stability than the free enzyme at 4°C, 25°C, and 37°C. The apparent K m (2.35 ± 0.12mM) and V max (13.01 ± 0.64µmol/min) values for the immobilized enzyme were considerably altered compared to those of the free enzyme (p > 0.05). PPL@mDE was subsequently employed for the synthesis of banana flavor (isoamyl acetate) in n-hexane, which yields an esterification percentage of 100 at 37°C after 3h. However, it merits further investigations to find out about large-scale application of the as-synthesized biocatalyst for esterification.

Association between human olfactory performance and ability to detect single compounds in complex chemical mixtures.

Humans can accurately discern thousands of odorants, although there is a considerable inter-individual variability. Individuals can be classified as normosmic, hyposmic or anosmic, depending on their olfactory sensitivity or blindness. In this research we studied the olfactory sensitivity to banana head-space as a complex odor mixture in a group of 53 subjects classified for their olfactory status, by means of the "Sniffin' Sticks" extended test. Using the coupled Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/ Olfactometry (GC–MS/O) technique, the single components of the banana flavor mixture were separated, identified and verbally evaluated by each subject. For each compound both the “odor type” (i.e., odor quality: fruity, floral, green, etc.) and “odor descriptor” (i.e., name used by subjects for odor identification) were reported, so that we could identify molecules that were defined as smelling of banana. The results show that: (a) the threshold olfactory performance is linearly correlated with the number of odor-active compounds (total or smelling of banana) for each subject; (b) the intensity reported by each subject during the sniffing of the pen containing the banana aroma in the identification test is positively correlated both with its hedonic valence and the number of odor-active compounds smelling of banana. In conclusion, our findings show that human perception of single compounds is conditioned by the threshold olfactory performance of the subject and that his/her ability to detect single molecular components, which smell as the mixture, affects the intensity and hedonism for the complex aroma.

Insights into suckling rabbit feeding behaviour: acceptability of different creep feed presentations and attractiveness for sensory feed additives

In young rabbit, digestive disorders are frequently observed around weaning. Stimulating the onset of feed intake in the suckling rabbit might be a way to promote gut health. The aim of this study was to determine the rabbit’s acceptability for different feed presentations and its preferences for flavours at an early stage of life. Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of physical form and flavouring on creep feed attractiveness. All the diets tested were provided in the nest from 3 to 17 days, and the daily intake per litter was recorded as of 8 days of age. In the first trial, five feed presentations were tested separately (n = 60 litters). Three dry presentations were chosen: commercial pellet (P), crumb from commercial pellet (cP) and crumb from beet pulp pellet (cBP). Hydrated feeds were also provided with either raw fodder beetroot (B) or a semi-solid feed in agar gel form produced with fodder beetroot juice and pulp (gB). In the second trial, double-choice tests were performed on four feed gels (n = 72 litters), leading to six comparison treatments. These agar gels were made of pellet mash without or with a sensory additive: one non-odorised control gel and three gels with 0.20% banana flavour, 0.06% red berry flavour and 0.10% vanilla flavour, respectively. In the first trial, kits ate more gB in fresh matter than other feed presentations (P < 0.001), with a total intake of 7.0 ± 1.8 g/rabbit from 8 to 17 days. In DM, the total consumption of pellets P (1.6 ± 0.4 g of DM/rabbit) was the highest together with the gB form (1.4 ± 0.4 g of DM/rabbit), whereas cBP was barely consumed (0.3 ± 0.1 g of DM/rabbit). Gel feed supplemented with vanilla was slightly more consumed than other flavoured and non-odorised gels (relative consumption of 57% when compared to control gel; P = 0.001). The gel feed intake was independent of the milk intake but was correlated with the litter weight at 3 days (r = 0.40, P < 0.001). In both trials, rabbit growth before and after weaning was not affected by the type of creep feed provided. Our results confirmed that providing creep feed promotes the solid intake of rabbits at early stages. Gel feed form motivated rabbits to eat and vanilla flavour supplementation increased the feed palatability. Those creep feed characteristics should be explored further for seeking effective stimulation of the onset of the feed intake in suckling rabbit.