Comparison of three lychee cultivar odor profiles using gas chromatography-olfactometry and gas chromatography-sulfur detection.

Odor volatiles in three major lychee cultivars (Mauritius, Brewster, and Hak Ip) were examined using gas chromatography-olfactometry, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-pulsed flame photometric detection. Fifty-nine odor-active compounds were observed including 11 peaks, which were associated with sulfur detector responses. Eight sulfur volatiles were identified as follows: hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, diethyl disulfide, 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline, 2-methyl thiazole, 2,4-dithiopentane, dimethyl trisulfide, and methional. Mauritius contained 25% and Brewster contained 81% as much total sulfur volatiles as Hak Ip. Cultivars were evaluated using eight odor attributes: floral, honey, green/woody, tropical fruit, peach/apricot, citrus, cabbage, and garlic. Major odor differences in cabbage and garlic attributes correlated with cultivar sulfur volatile composition. The 24 odor volatiles common to all three cultivars were acetaldehyde, ethanol, ethyl-3-methylbutanoate, diethyl disulfide, 2-methyl thiazole, 1-octen-3-one, cis-rose oxide, hexanol, dimethyl trisulfide, alpha-thujone, methional, 2-ethyl hexanol, citronellal, (E)-2-nonenal, linalool, octanol, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, menthol, 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, beta-damascenone, 2-phenylethanol, beta-ionone, and 4-vinyl-guaiacol.