Screening for key odorants in Moroccan green olives by gas chromatography-olfactometry/aroma extract dilution analysis.

"Spanish style" Moroccan green table olives were screened for potent odorants by gas chromatography-olfactometry/aroma extraction dilution analysis of a representative Likens-Nickerson extract. (Z)-3-Hexenal [flavor dilution factor (FD) = 256], (E,E)-2,4-decadienal (FD = 128), and (E,Z)-2,4-decadienal (FD = 64) were revealed to confer green and coriander/paraffin oil odors to both fruit and oil extracts, whereas guaiacol (FD = 128) imparted a bad olive, phenolic note. Methional (3-methylthiopropionaldehyde, FD = 128) and several terpenes (FD </= 64) such as alpha-farnesene, trans-nerolidol, nerol acetate, limonene, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-terpineol, linalool, and beta-myrcene were detected in the fruit extract, although they were not reported as olive oil constituents.