Comparison of volatile components in fresh and canned sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus, Lamarck) gonads by GC-MS using dynamic headspace sampling and microwave desorption

Volatile component profiles of raw and canned sea urchin gonads were analyz ed using dynamic headspace sampling onto an adsorbent, followed by microwav e desorption into a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass spectrometric de tector. Thirty-nine compounds were identified, including alcohols, aldehyde s, aromatic hydrocarbons, furans, hydrocarbons, ketones, nitrogen-containin g compounds, sulfur-containing compounds and terpenes. The most important c hanges caused by sterilization were: (1) appearance of furans, nitrogen-con taining compounds and branched aldehydes; (2) increase in the contents of a ldehydes and sulfur-containing compounds. It is concluded that the change i n aroma during canning depends on compounds from lipid oxidation and from t hermal degradation of carbohydrates as well as compounds from other types o f reactions, e.g. the Strecker degradation and the Maillard reaction.