Volatile compounds in fresh pulp of pineapple (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.) from French Polynesia

Volatile compounds from fresh pineapple pulp were isolated by organic solve nt extraction and were studied by CC/FID and CC/MS. One hundred and eightee n compounds were identified according to their retention time on polar and apolar capillary columns and their mass spectra. They are divided as follow : seven hydrocarbons (3.3%), nine sulfur compounds (10.3%), 42 esters (44.9 %), 10 lactones (11.5%), 11 carbonyl compounds (4.7%), 14 acids (7.3%), 11 alcohols and phenols (3.8%), and 14 miscellaneous compounds (143%). Four co mpounds were found at a level greater than 1 mg/kg, methyl octanoate (1.49 ppm), methyl 3-(methylthio)propanoate (1.14 ppm), methyl hexanoate (1.1 ppm ) and 3-methyl-2,5-furanedione (1.07 ppm), three others were detected at a level between 0.5 ppm and 1 ppm and 25 at a level between 0.1 ppm and 0.5 p pm. Of these 118 compounds, 71 have already been described in the literatur e to be present in pineapple aroma. our study showed that among the 47 newl y detected volatile constituents, five free phenolic compounds, four sulfur compounds and a family of furanoid compounds were observed for the first t ime in the composition of the pineapple aroma.