EFFECT OF GAMMA-IRRADIATION ON FLAVOR COMPOUNDS OF FRESH MUSHROOMS

Fresh mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) were gamma-irradiated with doses o f 1, 2, and 5 kGy. The volatile compounds were isolated using a Licken s-Nickerson apparatus and analyzed using gas chromatography and gas ch romatography-mass spectrometry. The amount of total volatiles was grea tly affected by the doses applied. The amounts of benzaldehyde and ben zyl alcohol were not affected by gamma-irradiation and ranged from 8.9 4 to 11.79 and from 0.696 to 1.503 mu g/g, respectively. The amounts o f eight-carbon compounds decreased as the doses of gamma-irradiation i ncreased, from 41.73 for the control (0 kGy) to 20.06 (1 kGy), 8.77 (2 kGy), and 4.04 mu g/g (5 kGy irradiated mushrooms). The major eight-c arbon compound was 1-octen-3-ol, and its amount decreased from 30.34 ( the control) to 14.18 (1 kGy), 6.22 (2 kGy), and 2.92 mu g/g (5 kGy).