Volatile Constituents of Different Apricot Varieties in Cool Subtropical Climate Conditions

Apricot fruits with rich aromatic profiles are appreciated by consumers for their flavor, sweetness and juiciness; these characteristics are strongly related to the variety and ripening stage at harvest. Volatiles directly affect the sensorial quality and consumer acceptance of fresh fruits. The type and concentration of volatile compounds show great variability in apricots in cool subtropical conditions of Turkey. Aroma is a complex trait, determined by genetics and variety characteristics, followed by climatological conditions, ripening stage and cultural influences; it is further affected by harvest, post-harvest treatments, storage and processing conditions factors. In this experiment aroma potentials of apricot varieties were evaluated. Twelve apricot varieties including ‘Canino’, ‘Ethembey’, ‘Fracosso’, ‘Harcot’, ‘Macar’, ‘Monobella’, ‘Nebeb’, ‘Rakowsky’, ‘Roxana’, ‘Sakit-2’, ‘Soganci’ and ‘Tokaloglu’ were investigated for their volatile compositions by using diethyl ether solvent for liquid-liquid extractions. The identification of volatile constituents was performed by Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS) instrument. The major volatile constituents of the varieties were acetaldehyde, hexanal, benzaldehyde, ethanol, 1-hexanol, (Z)-3-hexenol, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, linalool, ethyl acetate, hexyl acetate, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, (E)-2-hexenyl acetate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, (E)-β-ionone and γ-decalactone, limonene. The concentrations of the volatiles were significantly changed among the varieties. A total of 95 volatile compounds; C6 compounds, aldehydes, acetates, alcohols, esters, ketones, lactones, terpenoids and acids were found in the twelve cultivars. There were 52 compounds identified in ‘Canino’, 53 in ‘Ethembey’, 51 in ‘Fracosso’, 59 in ‘Harcot’, 56 in ‘Macar’, 63 in ‘Monobella’, 63 in ‘Nebeb’, 62 in ‘Rakowsky’, 64 in ‘Roxana’, 60 in ‘Sakit-2’, 68 in ‘Soganci’ and 69 in ‘Tokaloglu’.