Chapter 12
Determination of Plant Volatile Apocarotenoids
Jose ´ L. Rambla and Antonio Granell
Abstract
Volatile compounds derived from carotenoid cleavage are biologically relevant molecules in plants, as they
are involved in different processes of plant communication and also have a significant effect on our
perception of food flavor.
Here we describe two methods for the determination of volatile apocarotenoids in fruit based on
extraction by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and separation and detection
by means of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The first method is optimised for
the detection of the complete volatile profile in Citrus fruit, including those compounds derived from
carotenoids. The second is a shorter method focused to the detection of volatile apocarotenoids in the
tomato fruit.
Key words Volatile compounds, Aroma, Apocarotenoid, SPME, Gas chromatography, Mass
spectrometry
1 Introduction
Volatile apocarotenoids are short-chain nonpolar molecules derived
from the cleavage of carotenoids which can be released from the
plant and detected by the same or another plant or even a different
organism.
Volatile apocarotenoids can be produced enzymatically by the
action of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCD) [1, 2] but also
nonenzymatically by chemical degradation of carotenoids
[3]. Apocarotenoid volatiles have been detected in a wide range
of plant species and in almost any plant organ/tissue, including
leaves [4], flowers [5] or fruit [6–8].
In some species such as tomato, volatile apocarotenoid production increases in the ripe fruit, participating in fruit flavor and
aroma. In the case of the ripe tomato fruit, three volatile apocarotenoids have been described to impact the human perception of
tomato flavor [9]. Nevertheless, production of most of the apocarotenoid volatiles peaks at earlier stages of fruit development in
Manuel Rodrı ´guez-Concepcio ´ n and Ralf Welsch (eds.), Plant and Food Carotenoids: Methods and Protocols,
Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 2083, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9952-1_12,
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
165
Determination of Plant Volatile Apocarotenoids
Jose ´ L. Rambla and Antonio Granell
Abstract
Volatile compounds derived from carotenoid cleavage are biologically relevant molecules in plants, as they
are involved in different processes of plant communication and also have a significant effect on our
perception of food flavor.
Here we describe two methods for the determination of volatile apocarotenoids in fruit based on
extraction by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and separation and detection
by means of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The first method is optimised for
the detection of the complete volatile profile in Citrus fruit, including those compounds derived from
carotenoids. The second is a shorter method focused to the detection of volatile apocarotenoids in the
tomato fruit.
Key words Volatile compounds, Aroma, Apocarotenoid, SPME, Gas chromatography, Mass
spectrometry
1 Introduction
Volatile apocarotenoids are short-chain nonpolar molecules derived
from the cleavage of carotenoids which can be released from the
plant and detected by the same or another plant or even a different
organism.
Volatile apocarotenoids can be produced enzymatically by the
action of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCD) [1, 2] but also
nonenzymatically by chemical degradation of carotenoids
[3]. Apocarotenoid volatiles have been detected in a wide range
of plant species and in almost any plant organ/tissue, including
leaves [4], flowers [5] or fruit [6–8].
In some species such as tomato, volatile apocarotenoid production increases in the ripe fruit, participating in fruit flavor and
aroma. In the case of the ripe tomato fruit, three volatile apocarotenoids have been described to impact the human perception of
tomato flavor [9]. Nevertheless, production of most of the apocarotenoid volatiles peaks at earlier stages of fruit development in
Manuel Rodrı ´guez-Concepcio ´ n and Ralf Welsch (eds.), Plant and Food Carotenoids: Methods and Protocols,
Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 2083, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9952-1_12,
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
165