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Effect of freezing, drying and the duration of storage on the composition of essential oils of plain‐leafed parsley [ Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ssp. neapolitanum Danert] and turnip‐rooted parsley [ Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ssp. tuberosum (Bernh.) Crov.]
Author(s) -
Petropoulos Spiros A.,
Daferera Dimitra,
Polissiou Moschos G.,
Passam Harold C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
flavour and fragrance journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.393
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1099-1026
pISSN - 0882-5734
DOI - 10.1002/ffj.1954
Subject(s) - chemistry , horticulture , botany , biology
The individual amounts of volatile substances occurring in turnip‐rooted parsley leaves [ Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ssp. tuberosum (Bernh.) Crov.] during freezing, drying and storage are described for the first time and compared with those of plain‐leafed parsley [ Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ssp. neapolitanum Danert]. Plain‐leafed parsley had a higher total oil content (mg/100 g fresh weight) than turnip‐rooted parsley, and was richer in β‐phellandrene, 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene, apiole and myristicin, compounds that are considered to make a major contribution to parsley aroma. Freezing caused a slight reduction in the concentrations of β‐phellandrene and 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene in plain‐leafed parsley, while drying caused a large decrease in 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene and an increase in β‐phellandrene. In turnip‐rooted parsley the concentrations of 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene, and to a lesser extent β‐phellandrene, also decreased with freezing, but 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene increased with drying. Subsequent storage of the frozen or dried leaves caused a further loss of 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene in all samples except the frozen leaves of turnip‐rooted parsley. In the frozen state, the loss of 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene in plain‐leafed parsley coincided with an increase in apiole, myristicin, p‐α‐ dimethylstyrene and terpinolene, whereas in turnip‐rooted parsley β‐myrcene and β‐phellandrene increased without a concomitant change in 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene. In the dried state, 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene decreased progressively over 2 months in turnip‐rooted parsley, while β‐phellandrene and, to a lesser extent, β‐myrcene, p‐α‐ dimethylstyrene and terpinolene increased. In the dried leaves of plain‐leafed parsley, the loss of 1,3,8 ‐p‐ menthatriene observed between the first and second months of storage coincided with increases in β‐phellandrene and β‐myrcene. It is concluded that the essential oil profile of parsley leaves depends on both the genotype and the processing method. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.