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A survey of volatile components of some allium species in terms of s ‐alk(en)yl‐l‐cysteine sulphoxides present as flavour precursors
Author(s) -
Freeman George G.,
Whenham Robert J.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740261210
Subject(s) - allium sativum , allium , flavour , allium fistulosum , chemistry , cultivar , botany , food science , biology
The volatile flavour components of 27 Allium species and cultivars, mostly edible but including some decorative species for comparison, have been investigated by a series of gas and thin‐layer chromatographic and u.v. spectrophotometric methods. By means of simulation experiments with synthetic precursors and intermediates, the data have been interpreted in terms of the amino acid precursors present in the intact tissues and the species classified as containing (a) S ‐1‐propenyl‐, (b) S ‐2‐propenyl‐ and (c) S ‐methyl‐L‐cysteine sulphoxides as their principal flavour precursors. Characteristic examples of the three types are A. cepa L. (onion), A. sativum L. (garlic) and A. aflatunense B. Fedtschenko, respectively. An object of the work has been to demonstrate broad chemical similarities between species as well as their differences, which are emphasised in keys for classification on the basis of morphological characters. In addition to onion, leek, shallot, garlic and chives, species such as A. chinense, A. fistulosum and A. tuberosum have widespread use as food, particularly in the Far East. The literature on this aspect has been briefly summarised.