Comparison of the volatile components of some mango cultivars

Three cultivars of mango from Sri Lanka (Jaffna, Willard and Parrot) were analysed for their volatile aroma components. The total concentrations of volatiles obtained were ca 251, 422 and 628 μg per kg of fresh fruit, respectively. Terpenes were the main volatiles of all three cultivars, with monoterpene hydrocarbons contributing 50–63 % w/w of the total volatiles and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons 14–19 %. Whilst the major volatile of Jaffna mango was cis-β-ocimene (38 %), α-terpinolene was the major volatile of the other two cultivars (32 % and 35 %). Esters were produced by all cultivars (2–16 %), Jaffna yielding most, the majority being unsaturated (12 %). Willard mango gave particularly high levels of non-terpene hydrocarbons (19 %), including a range of six long-chain alkanes (8 %), not detected in the other cultivars.