Influence of thermal processing on the volatile constituents of muskmelon puree.

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L) is an important tropical fruit cultivated widely in different parts of India. Fresh muskmelon has a delicate but characteristic flavor rendering the fruit with highly acceptable flavor. Processing and preservation of muskmelon puree requires thermal processing, which affects the volatile constituents. It is imperative to understand the flavor changes during thermal processing which would affect the quality of the processed and packed muskmelon puree. Muskmelon puree was subjected to different methods of thermal processing viz., heating, canning and packing in retort pouches and the volatile constituents were analyzed. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) indicated the presence of more than 49 volatile components in the muskmelon puree samples. Major volatile components identified using GC-MS analysis showed the presence of esters (27.29 %), aldehydes (18.57 %), Heterocyclic compounds (16.63 %), aliphatic alcohols (11.72 %), phenolic compounds (6.03 %) and sesquiterpenes (0.25 %) in the fresh samples. Aldehydes decreased and ester content increased in thermally processed muskmelon puree packed in cans and retort pouches. Aliphatic alcohols, Heterocyclic compounds and phenolic compounds decreased in puree processed in tin containers and retort pouches.