Flavor composition of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) and marmeleiro (Croton species) honeys.

The aim of this work was to characterize the volatile fractions of two Brazilian honeys known as caju and marmeleiro. The volatile components were isolated by a column extraction technique using acetone as the extraction solvent. Totals of 59 and 36 volatile compounds were definitely or tentatively identified in the caju and marmeleiro honeys, respectively, using reference substances, mass spectral libraries, and the odor qualities of the compounds eluted from the GC column. Aroma extraction dilution analysis allowed the tentative identification of furfuryl mercaptan, benzyl alcohol, delta-octalactone, gamma-decalactone, eugenol, benzoic acid, isovaleric acid, phenylethyl alcohol, and 2-methoxyphenol as impact volatile compounds in the caju honey. In the marmeleiro honey, only isovaleric acid, gamma-decalactone, benzoic acid, and vanillin were considered to be potent odorants. This study showed that the medium- to high-boiling volatile compounds are important contributors to the characteristic aroma of these honeys.