FREE AND GLYCOSIDICALLY BOUND VOLATILE COMPOUNDS FROM 2 BANANA CULTIVARS - VALERY AND PEQUENA ENANA

Headspace composition and glycosidically bound volatile compounds from two banana cultivars, Valery and Pequena Enana, have been studied. Gl ycosides were isolated from aqueous extracts of banana pulp by means o f an Amberlite XAD-2 column. Volatile compounds were released by enzym atic hydrolysis using almond beta-glucosidase and further analyzed by HRGC/MS. Twenty-five main aglycons were analyzed for the first time in banana fruit pulp. These aglycons can be grouped in two biogeneticall y different groups: fatty acids and shikimic acid-derived compounds. A lcohols, such as decan-1-ol and 2-phenylethanol, and acids, such as S- oxo-pentanoic acid, 3-methylbutanoic acid, and benzoic acid, were quan titatively the most important aglycons in glycosides isolated from bot h banana cultivars.