Odor-Active Compounds in the Special Flavor Hops Huell Melon and Polaris

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b05859
• Publication Date: 2018-01-27T17:11:14Z
• Authors: Silva D. Neiens; Martin Steinhaus
• Keywords: Flavoring Agents; Volatile Organic Compounds; 0404 agricultural biotechnology; Molecular Structure; Fruit; Odorants; 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences; Humulus; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

The volatiles isolated from samples of the special flavor hop varieties, Huell Melon and Polaris, and from the aroma hop variety, Hallertau Tradition, by solvent extraction and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) were subjected to a comparative aroma extract dilution analysis (cAEDA), which resulted in 46 odor-active compounds in the flavor dilution (FD) factor range of 16 to 2048. On the basis of high FD factors, myrcene, (3R)-linalool, and 2- and 3-methylbutanoic acid were confirmed as important variety-independent hop odorants. (1R,4S)-Calamenene was identified for the first time as an odor-active compound in hops. Clear differences in the FD factors and their subsequent objectification by stable isotope dilution quantitation suggested that high concentrations of the esters ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl 2-methylpropanoate, and propyl 2-methylbutanoate cause the characteristic fruity, cantaloupe-like odor note in Huell Melon hops, whereas the fruity and minty odor notes in Polaris are associated with high amounts of 3-methylbutyl acetate and 1,8-cineole.