Sugars and acids influence flavor properties of mango (Mangifera indica)

Information on important flavor components for fruit and vegetables is lack ing and would be useful for breeders and molecular biologists. Effects of s ugar and acid levels on mango (Mangifera indica L.) flavor perception were analyzed. Twelve treatments, identified using a constrained simplex lattice mixture design, were formulated by adding sugar (60%), citric acid (40%), and water to an equal, volume of mango homogenate. Using 150-mm nonstructur ed line scales, a trained panel evaluated the treatments according to II fl avor descriptors. Titratable acidity (TA), pH, and total soluble solids (TS S) nt re also determined, Acid concentration affected ratings for sweet, so ur, peachy, pine/terpentine, astringent, and biting. Except for sour taste, all descriptors were affected by sugar content while increasing water incr eased intensities of all flavor notes. TA, pH, and TSS/TA correlated (P < 0 .01) with and were useful predictors (r > 0.80) of sour taste and chemical feeling descriptors astringent and biting. TSS, however, was not a particul arly good indicator of sweetness (r = 0.72) or any other descriptor except possibly peachy (r = 0,79). It is evident from this study that sugars and a cids enhance human perception of specific flavor notes in mango, including aromatics.