Aroma compounds derived from the thermal degradation of carotenoids in a cashew apple juice model

- The formation of volatiles derived from thermal degradation of carotenoid is proposed.
- The model system explains the effect of thermal treatment in cashew apple products.
- Volatiles compounds of carotenoids controls the sensory quality of processed products.

The thermal degradation of carotenoids in cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) juice leads to changes in the beverage colour, and possibly in the aroma and flavour, although the latter hypothesis has not yet been properly investigated. Thus the objective of this study was to investigate the formation of odour active volatiles derived from the thermal degradation of carotenoids in a cashew apple juice model. A carotenoid extract in an acidic aqueous medium was submitted to 60 and 90 °C for 1 and 2 h. The non-volatile compounds were identified by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array and mass spectrometry detectors (HPLC-PDA). The volatiles were isolated by headspace-solid phase micro-extraction, separated by gas chromatography, identified by mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) and their odour significance assessed by GC-Olfactometry. Thirty-three odour active volatiles were identified in the heated system, amongst which 1,2,3,5-tetramethylbenzene, naphthalene and p-xylene. The results indicated that the volatiles formed from the thermal degradation of the carotenoids influence the aroma and flavour of thermally processed cashew apple products.