Headspace−GC-MS volatile profile of black garlic vs fresh garlic: Evolution along fermentation and behavior under heating

•The volatile profile of black garlic has been studied for the first time.•The volatile profiles of black and fresh garlic have been differentiated.•The changes on the volatile profile along the fermentation have been evaluated.•The behavior of the samples when subjected to preset heating times has been studied.

Most healthy properties of fresh and black (a fermented derivative) garlic are attributed to volatile organosulfur compounds. In this research, the volatile profile of black garlic (from purple garlic) and its evolution along the fermentation process were evaluated using a headspace (HS) device coupled to a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) arrangement. The volatile profiles of black and fresh garlic were compared by testing different heating times in the HS device. The HS-GC-MS analysis allowed identifying 51 volatile compounds that were classified into S-alk(en)yl-l-cysteine derivatives, flavor compounds and others. Significant changes in the volatile profile along fermentation allowed PCA differentiation among the process steps under study. Black and fresh garlic provided different volatile profiles, especially in flavor compounds, and presented different behaviors under heating. Especially remarkable was the evolution of sulfur volatiles.