Headspace volatiles of the edible fruit pulp of Parinari curatellifolia growing in Malawi using solid phase microextraction

Highlights

• Headspace volatiles of Parinari curatellifolia (mobola plum) from Malawi have been identified.

• Extraction was done using SPME and identification was done using GC and GC–MS.

• The major compound identified was ethyl butyrate (28.7%).

Abstract

Head-space volatiles of the edible pulp of the mobola plum (Parinari curatellifolia) were extracted using solid phase microextraction (SPME), and their identities determined by GC–FID and GC–MS systems. The SPME method extracted eleven major compounds accounting for 99.0% of the volatile constituents. The volatiles were ethyl butyrate, 28.7%; ethyl isovalerate, 19.3%; ethyl valerate, 12.4%; ethyl hexanoate, 3.7%; ethyl benzoate, 2.5%; isoamyl isovalerate, 0.3%; phenol, 10.5%; α-bergamotene, 1.1%; β-farnesene, 3.0%; 2,6-diterbutyl-4-methyl-phenol, 3.1% and phenylacetonitrile, 14.4%. Thus, the valerate and butyrate esters are the most abundant volatiles in the head-space of the edible pulp of the ripe fruit using the SPME method. The compounds, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl valerate, isoamyl isovalerate, phenol, 2,6-diterbutyl-4-methyl-phenol, phenylacetonitrile, α-bergamotene and β-farnesene were identified for the first time in the head-space of this fruit.