Attractiveness of 79 compounds and mixtures to wild Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in field trials

Seventy-nine volatile compounds chosen from those emitted by Mediterranean fruit fly males, fruits and food baits, were tested for their attractiveness to females of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) in field trials with a wild population. To correct for density fluctuations, the results were presented as a percentage of males caught in the same type of traps baited with trimedlure, a known male attractant. The mixtures of corn steep liquor with ammonia compounds and amines were the most effective attractants for females. Other compounds exhibiting C. capitata attraction were a mixture ethyl acetate+acetic acid+ethanol for both sexes, and p-cymene, 1,3-diethylbenzene and borneol for females.     

Production of fruity aroma by newly isolated yeast

Summary One strain of yeast (Geotrichum sp) which was isolated from papaya fruit produced 22 volatile compounds and 8 of these were chemically identified. Ethyl isovalerate and ethyl hexanoate showed as fruity flavor, whereas ethyl propionate and ethyl butyrate showed weak fruitiness. Production of two fruity compounds was further studied by using various culture media.     

Ester Synthesis by Zoogloea ramigera 115 Grown in the Presence of Ethanol

The ester ethyl butyrate is produced by Zoogloea ramigera 115, a bacterium isolated from an aerobic waste treatment plant, when ethanol is present in culture media. The cells appear to produce butyric acid which is then esterified with residual ethanol in the culture medium.     

Comparative metabolic profiling to investigate the contribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">O. oeni</Emphasis> MLF starter cultures to red wine composition

In this research work we investigated changes in volatile aroma composition associated with four commercial Oenococcus oeni malolactic fermentation (MLF) starter cultures in South African Shiraz and Pinotage red wines. A control wine in which MLF was suppressed was included. The MLF progress was monitored by use of infrared spectroscopy. Gas chromatographic analysis and capillary electrophoresis were used to evaluate the volatile aroma composition and organic acid profiles, respectively. Significant strain-specific variations were observed in the degradation of citric acid and production of lactic acid during MLF. Subsequently, compounds directly and indirectly resulting from citric acid metabolism, namely diacetyl, acetic acid, acetoin, and ethyl lactate, were also affected depending on the bacterial strain used for MLF. Bacterial metabolic activity increased concentrations of the higher alcohols, fatty acids, and total esters, with a larger increase in ethyl esters than in acetate esters. Ethyl lactate, diethyl succinate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl 2-methylpropanoate, and ethyl propionate concentrations were increased by MLF. In contrast, levels of hexyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, 2-phenylethyl acetate, and ethyl acetate were reduced or remained unchanged, depending on the strain and cultivar evaluated. Formation of ethyl butyrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl 2-methylbutryate, and ethyl isovalerate was related to specific bacterial strains used, indicating possible differences in esterase activity. A strain-specific tendency to reduce total aldehyde concentrations was found at the completion of MLF, although further investigation is needed in this regard. This study provided insight into metabolism in O. oeni starter cultures during MLF in red wine.     

Aroma barrier properties of sodium caseinate-based films

The mass transport of six different aroma compounds (ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, 2-hexanone, 1-hexanol, and cis-3-hexenol) through sodium caseinate-based films with different oleic acid (OA)/beeswax (BW) ratio has been studied. OA is less efficient than BW in reducing aroma permeability, which can be attributed to its greater polarity. Control film (without lipid) and films prepared with 0:100 OA/BW ratio show the lowest permeability. OA involves a decrease in aroma barrier properties of the sodium caseinate-based films due to its plasticization ability. Preferential sorption and diffusion occurs through OA instead of caseinate matrix and/or BW. The efficiency of sodium caseinate-based films to retain or limit aroma compound transfers depend on the affinity of the volatile compound to the films, which relates physicochemical interaction between volatile compound and film. Specific interactions (aroma compound-hydrocolloid and aroma compound-lipid) induce structural changes during mass transfer.     

Effects of water activity, leucine and thiamine on production of aroma compounds by Ceratocystis fimbriata

Ceratocystis fimbriata was grown in a standard liquid medium to determine the production of aroma compounds as affected by thiamine addition to the inoculum, thiamine or leucine addition to the medium, and the effect of water availability. Ethanol constituted more than half of the total volatiles production in the headspace, followed by ethyl acetate (22.6%), ethyl butyrate (10.8%), isobutanol (7.6%), amyl alcohol (1.6%), isoamyl acetate (1.5%), acetaldehyde (1.2%), ethyl propionate (0.9%), isobutyl acetate (0.4%), diacetyl (0.6%) and isoamyl alcohol (0.3%). Although significant two-way interactions were observed (P < 0.05), production of volatile compounds tended to be higher in inocula prepared with thiamine (T+) than in inocula without thiamine (T–), and in the standard medium with thiamine (SMT) as compared to the standard medium alone (SM) and the SM with leucine (SML). Also, the reduction of water activity (a _w) resulted in lower quantities of volatiles being produced.     

Seasonal, populational and ontogenic variation in the volatile oil content and composition of individuals of Origanum vulgare subsp. Hirtum, assessed by GC headspace analysis and by SPME sampling of individual oil glands

Small-scale GC headspace analyses combined with SPME sampling of individual oil glands have been used to measure the variation in volatile content and composition in and within different oregano plants as affected by age, season and developmental state. The main monoterpenes found were p-cymene, carvacrol and their precursor gamma-terpinene. The early season preponderance of p-cymene over carvacrol was reversed as the season progressed and this pattern could also be seen at any time within the plant, from the latest leaves to be produced (low in cymene) to the earliest (high in cymene). Seedlings from the same mother plant developed this pattern at different rates. Within individual leaves the pattern was not observed, even within the youngest developing leaves. However it was found that the oil composition of individual glands within a single leaf varied considerably, most notably in respect of the production of carvacrol and its isomer thymol.     

软儿梨果酒发酵过程中挥发性风味物质变化分析

软儿梨是西北地区特有的一种“冻果”产品,酸甜可口、果香浓郁,是酿造果酒的上乘原料。为明确果酒发酵过程中果香的保留情况,并探究发酵时间的延长对软儿梨果酒品质的影响,以青海省民和县软儿梨冻果为原料,基于带皮渣发酵工艺,先采用顶空固相微萃取（solid?phase microextraction, SPME）,再结合气相色谱?质谱联用技术（gas chromatography?mass spectrometry, GC?MS）对原汁（0 d）、前发酵（7、14、28 d）、后发酵（100 d）3个不同时期样品中挥发性风味物质进行了动态跟踪分析,并结合相对气味活度值（relative odor activity value,ROAV）和主成分分析（principal component analysis,PCA）法分别探讨了软儿梨果酒原果香味保留情况和后发酵时间的延长对果酒风味的影响。结果显示：整个发酵过程共检出88种挥发性化合物,其中酯类33种、醇类29种、酸类6种、萜烯类7种以及13种其他类化合物,且风味物质的总含量随发酵的进行呈先上升后略有下降的趋势。ROAV结果表明：软儿梨原汁关键风味物质共8种,分别是丁酸乙酯、己酸乙酯、2?甲基丁酸乙酯、正辛醇、大马士酮、芳樟醇、丁香酚和癸醛;其中果香物质己酸乙酯、正辛醇、芳樟醇、丁香酚和大马士酮在果酒发酵中得到了很好的保留,是决定软儿梨果酒风味的关键物质。主成分分析表明：发酵初期主要的香气贡献物质是具有水果香的丁酸乙酯、3?羟基丁酸乙酯、2?甲基丁酸乙酯;发酵100 d时,乙酸乙酯、α?松油醇、柠檬烯和芳樟醇对香气贡献较大,这些香气化合物共同赋予软儿梨果酒幽香清雅、馥香浓郁的独特风味品质。研究获得了软儿梨果酒关键风味物质及其在不同发酵阶段特征风味物质的变化规律,可为研发高品质软儿梨果酒产品、改进软儿梨果酒发酵工艺提供理论支撑和参考。     

Activation of volatile fatty acids in bovine liver and rumen epithelium. Evidence for control by autoregulation

1. The total capacities of homogenates of bovine liver and rumen epithelium to activate acetate, propionate and butyrate were determined. 2. Activating capacities were assayed by measuring the rate of formation of the corresponding CoA esters. The methods used for determining the concentrations of the CoA esters allowed the CoA esters of acetate, propionate and butyrate to be distinguished. It was thus possible to investigate the effect of the presence of a second volatile fatty acid on the rate at which a given volatile fatty acid was activated. 3. The propionate-activating capacity in rumen epithelium was decreased by about 87% in the presence of butyrate, the acetate-activating capacity in liver was decreased by about 55% in the presence of either propionate or butyrate, and the butyrate-activating capacity in liver was decreased by about 40-50% in the presence of propionate. 4. All three activating capacities in liver appeared to be located in the mitochondrial matrix and membrane. The three activating capacities had similar locations to each other in rumen epithelium as well, although in this case activity was more evenly divided between the mitochondria and the cytoplasm. 5. The relative activating capacities towards the volatile fatty acids in the two tissues, together with the ability of one volatile fatty acid to inhibit the activation of another volatile fatty acid, appear to ensure that butyrate is mainly metabolized in the rumen epithelium and that propionate is metabolized in the liver.     

The relationship between the carboxylesterase and monoacylglycerol lipase activities of chicken liver microsomes

The carboxylesterase (carboxylic-ester hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.1) and monoacylglycerol lipase (glycerol-monoester acylhydrolase, EC 3.1.1.23) activities, measured against ethyl butyrate and emulsified monooleoylglycerol respectively, were determined for chicken liver microsomes and highly purified chicken liver carboxylesterase. The activity ratio (ethyl butyrate activity/monooleoylglycerol activity) was approx. 5 for microsomes and approx. 400 for carboxylesterase. Homogenization of microsomes in 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.92) released all of the ethyl butyrate activity and about half of the monooleoylglycerol activity into a soluble form. Both activities eluted from a Sephadex G-200 column with the same elution volume as that of pure carboxylesterase. This fraction (fraction B) had an activity ratio of approx. 15, an average pI of 5.01 (cf. 4.75 for carboxylesterase), and ran on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 8.6 as a number of closely spaced esterase bands with mobilities considerably less than those of the esterase bands present in the carboxylesterase. Fraction B activities against both substrates were completely inhibited by diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate and completely precipitated by antibody to carboxylesterase. The remaining half of the monoacylglycerol lipase activity of microsomes was solubilized by treatment with 1.5% (w/v) Triton X-100. This solubilized monoacylglycerol lipase was completely inhibited by diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate, showing it to be a serine-dependent enzyme like the carboxylesterases. However, it had no detectable activity against ethyl butyrate, indicating that it is not closely related to the carboxylesterases.     

Attractants for the gravid Queensland fruit fly Dacus tryoni

The vapours of certain pure chemicals, typical of ripe fruits, elicited characteristic components of ovipositional behaviour from gravid Dacus tryoni (Froggat) in an olfactometer: the flies walked and flew upwind to the source of the vapour and then probed with their ovipositors. A range of alcohols, acids, ketones and esters having 2–6 carbon atoms were effective (1 and 10% of iso-butyric acid, n-butyric acid, methyl butyrate, ethyl butyrate, 2-butanone, ethyl lactate and ethyl acetate; and 10% concentrations of ethanol and 2-propanone). The most effective were 4–6 carbon acids, esters and ketones. Behavioural threshold for n-butyric acid vapour at 26°C was obtained from a 5×10^–3% dilution in paraffin oil; maximum fly response occurred at about 200 times this concentration. Low concentrations of the 15-carbon sesquiterpene, -farnesene, were also very effective, despite its lower volatility. These results suggest that at least three different types of alfactory sensory neurones are involved in the identification of fruit attractants by gravid D. tryoni.     

Analysis of the volatile components of five Turkish Rhododendron species by headspace solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS (HS-SPME-GC-MS)

Volatile constituents of various solvent extracts (n-hexane, CH2Cl2, H2O) of 15 different organs (leaves, flowers, fruits) of five Rhododendron species (Ericaceae) growing in Turkey were trapped with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) technique and analyzed by GC-MS. A total of 200 compounds were detected and identified from organic extracts, while the water extracts contained only traces of few volatiles. The CH2Cl2 extract of the R. luteum flowers was found to exhibit the most diverse composition: 34 compounds were identified, with benzyl alcohol (16.6%), limonene (14.6%) and p-cymene (8.4%) being the major compounds. The CH2Cl2-solubles of R. x sochadzeae leaves contained only phenyl ethyl alcohol. This study indicated appreciable intra-specific variations in volatile compositions within the genus. Different anatomical parts also showed altered volatile profiles. This is the first application of HS-SPME-GC-MS on the volatiles of Rhododendron species.     

13C NMR studies of butyric fermentation in Clostridium kluyveri

The fermentation of 13C-labeled ethanol and acetate into butyrate and caproate by Clostridium kluyveri has been studied by using 13C NMR. The pathway involves the conversion of both ethanol and acetate into acetyl coenzymes A, two of which condense to form CoA-linked precursors of butyrate. If butyryl-CoA is involved in the condensation, caproate is the ultimate product. ATP is produced from acetyl-CoA via the reactions catalyzed by phosphotransacetylase and acetate kinase with acetate, a required carbon source, as a co-product. In spectra of whole cells incubated with the labeled carbon sources, label from ethanol appears rapidly in acetate, which then reaches a lower, steady-state concentration due to its re-entry into the pathway. The rapid initial production of acetate indicates equally rapid production of ATP. Label from acetate appears in ethanol only if ethanol is already present, indicating that this process is one of isotopic equilibration rather than net synthesis of ethanol from acetate. The ratio of butyrate to caproate produced depends strongly on the initial ratio of ethanol to acetate in the medium. The relative rates of utilization of ethanol and acetate vary as the fermentation proceeds. 13C-13C coupling in the butyrate and caproate produced from [1-13C]ethanol and [2-13C]acetate can be used to determine if the acetyl-CoA molecules arising from ethanol and acetate enter the same pool or if they remain separated. The data are consistent with random mixing of the acetyl-CoA produced from the two carbon sources.     

Effects of two levels of monoterpene blend on rumen fermentation, terpene and nutrient flows in the duodenum and milk production in dairy goats

Twenty-six Alpine and Saanen goats, 12 fitted with a rumen cannula and a T-type cannula in the duodenum, were used in a 6-week experiment on the effect of a monoterpene blend on rumen fermentation, duodenal terpene and nutrient flows, milk yield and composition. The monoterpene blend consisted of 45.2, 36.7, 16.0 and 2.2 mol/100 mol terpene for linalool, p-cymene, α-pinene and β-pinene, respectively. The four compounds were considered as good models of northwest Mediterranean sward terpenes and were supplied in the same proportions as in the spring diet of dairy goats in the Basilicata (Southern Apennine range, Italy). The goats were assigned to three experimental groups fed a total mixed ration with no terpene or with the monoterpene blend at two levels, 0.043 and 0.43 g/kg dry matter intake. Ruminal fermentation characteristics remained unchanged among groups. In average, the total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration was 89.0 mM and the proportions of acetate, propionate and butyrate were 66.4, 21.1 and 10.1 mol/100 mol VFA, with an acetate:propionate ratio of 3.19. In average, 0.0, 2.7, 3.5 and 23.5 mol/100 mol of the ingested amounts of linalool, α-pinene, p-cymene and β-pinene were recovered in the duodenum. The mean terpene composition of duodenal digesta was 11.7, 9.2 and 79.1 mol/100 mol terpene for p-cymene, α-pinene and β-pinene, differing markedly from the dietary blend in both supplemented groups. Apparent rumen digestibility of dry matter (0.40), of neutral detergent fibre (0.54), and of acid detergent fibre (0.45) was not affected by either level of terpene supplementation. Dry matter intake and milk production, milk fat content or milk fatty acid profile were not affected by terpenes. It is concluded that, because of extensive ruminal degradation of each terpene, the monoterpene blend had no effect on ruminal digestion of dietary constituents or on milk performance whatever the supplementation level.     

Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agave tequilana</Emphasis> age,cultivation field location and yeast strain on tequila fermentation process

The effect of yeast strain, the agave age and the cultivation field location of agave were evaluated using kinetic parameters and volatile compound production in the tequila fermentation process. Fermentations were carried out with Agave juice obtained from two cultivation fields (CF1 and CF2), as well as two ages (4 and 8 years) and two Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains (GU3 and AR5) isolated from tequila fermentation must. Sugar consumption and ethanol production varied as a function of cultivation field and agave age. The production of ethyl acetate, 1-propanol, isobutanol and amyl alcohols were influenced in varying degrees by yeast strain, agave age and cultivation field. Methanol production was only affected by the agave age and 2-phenylethanol was influenced only by yeast strain. This work showed that the use of younger Agave tequilana for tequila fermentation resulted in differences in sugar consumption, ethanol and volatile compounds production at the end of fermentation, which could affect the sensory quality of the final product.     

Modulated release of a volatile compound from starch matrixes via enzymatically controlled degradation

The release of a model volatile (diacetyl) from a system based on a starch matrix, in which the volatile is dispersed, was studied. Kneading was used to obtain a homogeneous mixture (melt) composed of starch, glycerol alpha-amylase, and diacetyl. Samples were then ground to powders. When the starch powders were exposed to 30% relative humidity (RH) at 20 degreesC, no degradation of the starch matrix occurred. The samples only showed an initial burst release of diacetyl (around 10% of the loaded dose), whereas the remaining amount of diacetyl was not released, most likely due to the glassy character of the matrix and the low solubility of diacetyl in the matrix. However, when the samples were incubated at 90% RH, due to the uptake of moisture by the particles full release of the entrapped volatile occurred. The release of diacetyl from the matrix without enzyme followed first-order kinetics and, as expected, the release rate increased with decreasing particle size. Due to absorption of water, the enzyme became active and starch degradation occurred. The initial release of diacetyl from amylase-containing matrixes followed first-order kinetics as well. However, once the matrix was degraded to a certain extent, the particles collapsed, which was associated with concomitant rapid increase in release. The time at which the particle collapse occurred decreased with increasing enzyme concentration in the matrix. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that the release of a volatile from starch matrixes can be modulated both by the amount of coencapsulated matrix-degrading enzyme and by the humidity of the environment.     

Role of undecan-2-one on ethanol-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells

Based on the reduced expression of ethanol-oxidizing enzymes in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells, we analyzed the role of nonoxidative metabolites in ethanol-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. For this purpose, an analysis of volatile metabolites of ethanol using ion-mobility spectrometry and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was performed. HepG2 cells exposed to 1 mmol/L ethanol exhibited significant synthesis of undecan-2-one compared to untreated cells. Undecan-2-one is a fatty acid ethyl ester metabolite synthesized through a nonoxidative pathway. Undecan-2-one had a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect on HepG2 cells as shown by release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The most notable finding of this study was the potentiation of ethanol-induced apoptosis demonstrated by an increased apoptotic rate induced by undecan-2-one in ethanol-treated HepG2 cells. The data presented in this study contribute to the better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of ethanol exposure at low concentration in HepG2 cells, a human hepatocellular carcinoma-derived cell line.     

Chemical composition and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant effect of free volatile compounds from Satureja montana L

As a part of an investigation of natural antioxidants from Dalmatian aromatic plants, in this paper we report a study of the antioxidant activity related to the chemical composition of savory free volatile compounds. Twenty-one compounds were identified in the essential oil without fractionation, representing 97.4% of the total oil. The major compound was phenolic monoterpene thymol (45.2%). Other important compounds were monoterpenic hydrocarbons p-cymene (6.4%) a nd gamma-terpinene (5.9%)and oxygen-containing compounds carvacrol methyl ether (5.8%), thymol methyl ether (5.1%), carvacrol (5.3%), geraniol (5.0%) and borneol (3.9%). The evaluation of antioxidant power was performed in vitro by the beta-carotene bleaching and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods. As determined with both methods, the total savory essential oil as well as different fractions or pure constituents containing hydroxyl group exhibited relatively strong antioxidant effect. The hydrocarbons, when isolated as CH fraction, showed the poorest effectiveness in spite the fact that this fraction contained gamma-terpinene, alpha-terpinene, p-cymene and terpinolene which previously were identified as potential antioxidants.     

Chemical composition and antibacterial activities of the essential oils of Lippia chevalieri and Lippia multiflora from Burkina Faso

The chemical composition of the essential oils of Lippia chevalieri and Lippia multiflora obtained from the air-dried leaves by hydrodistillation were analysed using GC and GC-MS. L. chevalieri and L. multiflora belonged to thymol/p-cymene/2-phenyl ethyl propionate and thymol/p-cymene/thymyl acetate chemotypes, respectively. The essential oils were also tested against 09 strains using a broth microdilution method. The Gram-negative bacteria were the most sensitive. The essential oil of L. multiflora was the most active.