Aromas of some strawberry and blueberry species and varieties studie by gas liquid chromatographic and selected ion monitoring techniques

This publication summarises studies concerning the identification, quantitative determination and evaluation of relative contribution of the volatiles of some strawberry (genus Fragaria) and blueberry (genus Vaccinium) varieties and species. In addition, the inheritance of typical aroma substances by new hybrids and the stabilities of cone compounds were studied. The total amount of volatiles in Finnish wild strawberry (F. vesca L.) was clearly higher than that in cultivated strawberries. 2,5-Dimethyl-4-methoxy-3(2H)furanone was identified as the main volatile component in the berries of F. vesca L. and this furanone together with methyl anthranilate, carbyl acetate and myrtenol probably contributes to the typical aroma of this strawberry species. The aromas of the two new cultivars "Anneliee" and "Alaska Pioneer", obtained by back-crossing cultivated strawberry with wild strawberries, resembled more closely the aroma of wild strawberry than that of cultivated strawberry. The importance of 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy-3(2H)furanone and above wall of 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)furanone as flavour substances was difficult to verify exactly, because both compounds were unstable, their rates of decomposition depending an temperature and pH. About seventy aroma compounds of bilberry (V. myrtillus L.), bog blueberry (V. uliginosum L.) and high-bush blueberry (V., corymbosum cv. "Rancocas") were identified. The total amounts of volatiles in blueberry juices were below 2 mg/kg. The typical components for high-bush blueberry were linalool, geraniol, citronellol, hydroxycitronellol, farnesol and farnesyl acetate. The aroma of bilberry differed remarkably from that of high-bush blueberry, methyl and ethyl esters of 2- and 3-hydroxybutanoic acids being typical to bilberry. The aroma of bog blueberry proved to be particularly weak. The major volatiles of eight cultivated straxterry varieties and eleven blueberry varieties and species were quantified by selected ion monitoring (SIM). Using this specific and sensitive SIM-technique it was possible to quantify very easily the typical compounds and to follow the inheritance of the characteristic flavour compounds of the progenitors in the crossings. Among the strawberry cultivars studied the varieties "Kristina" and "Lihama" x "& Senga Sengana" and particularly variety "Senga Sengana" showed the highest aroma concentrations and were rated best with regard to character of high-bush blueberry were found to be inherited to a large extent by the crosses with bog blueberry. In subsequent backcrossings the total concentrations of volatiles increased further in comparison with that of the F1-hybrid.