Food Chemistry 248 (2018) 238–246

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Food Chemistry
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/foodchem

GC–MS profiling, descriptive sensory analysis, and consumer acceptance T

of Costa Rican papaya (Carica papaya L.) fruit purees
Veronika M. Lieba, Patricia Esquivelb, Elba Cubero Castillob, Reinhold Carlea,c,
⁎
Christof B. Steingassa,
a
Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Chair Plant Foodstuff Technology and Analysis, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 25, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
b
School of Food Technology, University of Costa Rica, 2060 San Pedro, Costa Rica
c
Biological Science Department, King Abdulaziz University, P. O. Box 80257, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Volatiles of papaya purees from four Costa Rican cultivars were analysed by solid-phase microextraction and gas
Puree processing chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 83 volatiles was assigned in the purees, of which 19 were de-
Papaya volatiles tected for the first time as papaya constituents. As revealed by multivariate statistics, i.e., principal component
Multivariate statistics analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), the purees may be allocated to terpene-
Semi-trained panel
and lactone-rich (‘SH-5’), ester-containing (‘Criolla’), and intermediate chemotypes (‘Pococí’ and ‘Silvestre’).
Descriptive sensory analysis and a consumer acceptance test were additionally performed. Floral, fruity, and
honey-like notes were perceived at significantly higher intensities in ‘SH-5’ puree. The latter descriptors strongly
correlated with volatiles discriminating ‘SH-5’ in the PCA and PLS-DA, respectively. Consumer acceptance of the
papaya purees differed significantly. ‘Pococí’ and ‘SH-5’ purees appear to be suitable for improving the nutri-
tional value of blended fruit juices without impairing their sensory quality.

1. Introduction flavour emerging during processing limits their industrial utilisation.

“Hidden Hunger”, i.e., malnutrition with a late manifestation of
visible clinical symptoms and, in particular, vitamin A deficiency, re-
presents an issue of growing importance of public health policy. In
2009, the World Health Organization classified vitamin A deficiency as
a moderate to severe health risk in more than half of the countries
worldwide (WHO, 2009). Provitamin A carotenoids from plant food-
stuff offer a viable nutritional source. Schweiggert et al. (2014) re-
ported carotenoids of Carica papaya L. being highly bioavailable com-
pared to other fruits and vegetables. In particular, Costa Rican papaya
cultivars have been reported to contain notably high concentrations of
β-cryptoxanthin, β-carotene, and lycopene (Schweiggert, Steingass,
Esquivel, & Carle, 2012).
The cultivation of papaya is limited to tropical and subtropical re-
gions. In 2013, more than 12 million tonnes papayas were produced
worldwide, whereof only 2.4% have been exported (FAO, 2017). Fresh
papaya fruits are prone to mechanical damage and microbial infections,
thus limiting their transport and shelf life (Zerpa-Catanho et al., 2017).
Processed papaya products such as puree may provide all-season supply
with shelf-stable and highly nutritive fruit products. However, the off-
Exceptions are blends with fruits other than papaya to mask the un-
pleasant flavour (Matsuura, Folegatti, Cardoso, & Ferreira, 2004).
The volatiles of fresh papaya fruits have already been characterised
in detail (Flath & Forrey, 1977; Jirovetz, Buchbauer, Shahabi, &
Ngassoum, 2003; Pino, 2014; Pino, Almora, & Marbot, 2003). Ac-
cording to the aforementioned studies, papayas may be allocated to
ester- or terpene-rich chemotypes. The latter contain high concentra-
tions of terpenes and heteroatomic compounds, in particular, linalool
and benzyl isothiocyanate. Representatives of this group are Hawaiian
cv. ‘Solo’ papayas and varieties cultivated in Cameroon (Flath & Forrey,
1977; Jirovetz et al., 2003). In contrast, cv. ‘Maradol Red’ from Cuba,
but also cultivars grown in Turkey represent chemotypes rich in esters
and volatile acids (Kelebek, Selli, Gubbuk, & Gunes, 2015; Pino, 2014).
So far, only few studies dealt with the elucidation of off-flavour com-
ponents in papaya puree (Chan et al., 1973). Previous research focused
on Hawaiian cultivars, mainly cv. ‘Solo’, whereas the suitability of
Central American cultivars for puree processing has not been con-
sidered.
The present study aimed at the characterisation of volatiles and
sensory profiles of purees from four different cultivars of Costa Rican

⁎
Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: veronika.lieb@uni-hohenheim.de (V.M. Lieb), patricia.esquivel@ucr.ac.cr (P. Esquivel), elba.cubero@ucr.ac.cr (E. Cubero Castillo),
reinhold.carle@uni-hohenheim.de (R. Carle), christof.steingass@uni-hohenheim.de (C.B. Steingass).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.12.027
Received 16 August 2017; Received in revised form 23 November 2017; Accepted 8 December 2017
Available online 13 December 2017
0308-8146/ © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
V.M. Lieb et al.
origin. For this purpose, we analysed the volatiles by headspace solid-
phase microextraction, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-
SPME-GC–MS), and multivariate statistics. In addition, ortho- and ret-
ronasal odour profiles were assessed by a semi-trained panel.
Complementary, an acceptance test was performed by an untrained
consumer panel. For further characterisation, morphological fruit traits
and physicochemical properties of both fresh fruits and purees were
determined. The present study should identify cultivars suitable for
puree production, thus providing a shelf-stable food product containing
high carotenoid concentrations.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Chemicals and reference materials
All reagents were at least of analytical grade and obtained from
Merck (Darmstadt, Germany) or VWR International (Darmstadt,
Germany). Sodium chloride was preconditioned at 105 °C for at least
24 h prior to use. Double-distilled water (ddH2O) was prepared with an
ultrapure water system (type arium® 611 UV, Sartorius AF, Göttingen,
Germany) and subsequently boiled for 20 min. Benzyl isothiocyanate,
butanoic acid, (E)-geraniol, linalool, linalool oxide, methyl salicylate,
(E)-2-nonenal, (Z)-6-nonen-1-ol, alkane standard solutions (C5–C8 and
C7–C30), and the internal standard ( ± )-2-octanol were purchased from
Sigma-Aldrich (Steinheim, Germany). Ethyl acetate, ethyl butanoate,
methyl butanoate, and methyl hexanoate were supplied from Döhler
(Darmstadt, Germany). Acetone and ethanol were from Merck. Methyl
(E,E)-2,4-hexadienoate was synthesised from (E,E)-2,4-hexadienoic acid
(Merck) using boron trifluoride-methanol solution (14% BF3 in me-
thanol; Sigma-Aldrich, Steinheim, Germany). Tomato paste was ob-
tained from Nestlé Panamá S.A. (Panamá City, Panamá), honey from
Manza Té (San José, Costa Rica).
2.2. Plant material
The Agricultural Experiment Station “Los Diamantes” (Guápiles,
Costa Rica) provided fruits of the red-fleshed Carica papaya L. cvs.
‘Criolla’, ‘Pococí’, and ‘SH-5’, and the yellow-fleshed Carica papaya L.
cv. ‘Silvestre’ between May and July 2015. ‘SH-5’ and ‘Silvestre’ fruits
were obtained from female plants, while the papayas from the open
pollinated line ‘Criolla’ and the commercial hybrid ‘Pococí’ originated
from hermaphrodite ones. ‘SH-5’ represents a breeding line derived
from the Hawaiian ‘Sunset’ (Schweiggert et al., 2012). The yellow-fle-
shed ‘Silvestre’ was a Costa Rican wild type line. After harvest, all fruits
were immersed in a dipping solution containing each 0.1% (v/v) pro-
chloraz (Mirage® 45 EC, Makhteshim Chemical Works, Beer Sheva, Is-
rael) and ethephon (Ethrel 48 SL®, Bayer CropScience, Monheim, Ger-
many) to control anthracnose and accelerate fruit ripening,
respectively. The fruits were stored at ambient temperature (∼25 °C)
until analysis and processing. All fruits were of full maturity as in-
dicated by total soluble solids (TSS; 9–14 °Brix) and the relative ri-
pening index (RI; 88–103%) established by Schweiggert, Steingass,
Mora, Esquivel, and Carle (2011).
2.3. Preparation of papaya puree
Prior to processing, the fruits were washed with tap water. In order
to coagulate the latex in the peel, they were subsequently dipped in
boiling water (2 min) followed by cooling in an ice-cooled water bath.
The papayas were manually peeled and halved using a stainless steel
knife. Deseeding was carefully performed with a stainless steel spoon to
prevent glucosinolate degradation upon further processing. The pre-
sliced mesocarp was homogenised using a paddle finisher fitted with a
0.6 mm screen. The purees were rapidly heated to 90 °C in a stainless
steel pot. After cooling to 40 °C, the purees were sealed into aluminium
bags and stored at −17 °C until analysis. For each cultivar, four
239
Food Chemistry 248 (2018) 238–246
separate batches were prepared.
2.4. Morphological and physicochemical traits
Physicochemical characteristics were determined according to
Schweiggert et al. (2011). In brief, total fruit weight, proportion of peel,
seeds, and pulp were determined gravimetrically. Pulp firmness, total
soluble solids (TSS), CIE-L∗a∗b∗ and L∗C∗h values were determined
using four single fruits and four separately produced puree batches of
each cultivar, respectively. All parameters were analysed in analytical
duplicates, the colour values in a tenfold determination. The relative
ripening index (RI) was calculated by dividing the pulp firmness by TSS
as previously proposed by Schweiggert et al. (2011).
2.5. Analysis of volatiles
Four batches of each cultivar were analysed in duplicate. Papaya
puree and sodium chloride solution (20% in ddH2O, w/w) each
4.5 ± 0.1 g were spiked with 50 µL of the internal standard (( ± )-2-
octanol; 3.476 mg/L in aqueous solution), and vigorously mixed for
1 min. An aliquot of 7.0 ± 0.1 g of the slurry obtained was filled into a
20-mL headspace vial.
Volatiles were analysed as reported by Steingass, Grauwet, and
Carle (2014). In brief, they were isolated by HS-SPME (40 °C, 60 min)
using a polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene fiber (PDMS/DVB, Stable
Flex®, Supelco, Bellefonte, PA, USA). GC–MS analysis was performed
using a 6890 N gas chromatograph interfaced to a 5976 mass selective
detector (both Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Chroma-
tographic separation was achieved using a fused silica capillary column
coated with polyethylene glycol (DB-Wax, 30 m × 0.25 mm,
df = 0.25 μm, Agilent J&W Columns, Santa Clara, CA, USA) and the
temperature program as well as MS parameters as previously reported.
Peak identity was verified using a nonpolar 100% dimethylpolysi-
loxane stationary phase (DB-1 ms, 30 m × 0.25 mm, df = 0.25 μm,
Agilent J&W Columns). The temperature program applied for the latter
column was as follows: initial temperature 50 °C (5 min), constant raise
to 230 °C (4 °C/min), raise to 280 °C (10 °C/min), and isothermal hold
for 10 min. Total run time was 65 min. The scan ranges were m/z
40–270 (scan frequency 5.87 Hz) until 35 min and m/z 40–320 (scan
frequency 4.94 Hz) for the final segment, respectively. Source and
transfer line temperatures were set to 230 and 250 °C, respectively.
GC–MS assignment of individual compounds was based on their
mass spectra compared to Wiley 6 N (Wiley and Sons, New York, NY,
USA) and NIST 08 (National Institute of Standards and Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD, USA) libraries, authentic reference standards, and
spectral data given by Winterhalter, Katzenberger, and Schreier (1986).
Linear retention indices (LRIs) were calculated according to Van den
Dool and Kratz (1963) using mixtures of n-alkanes (C5–C8 and C7–C30).
Concentrations were calculated from full scan total ion current peak
areas and expressed as mg ( ± )-2-octanol equivalents per kg papaya
puree assuming equal recoveries and response factors for all com-
pounds.
2.6. Sensory evaluation
2.6.1. Descriptive sensory analysis
2.6.1.1. Identification of descriptors and definition of the reference
materials. The finding of descriptors and appropriate reference
materials was performed according to DIN 10967-1 (1999). Panellists
(n = 30, 16 male, 14 female, aged 21–63 years) were recruited among
staff and students at the University of Hohenheim. The assessors were
requested to describe the sensory perception during smelling and
tasting of papaya puree in their own words. Imprecise and hedonic
terms as well as attributes with low frequencies were eliminated. The
identified attributes and corresponding aqueous reference solutions
were tomato-like (tomato paste; 15000 mg/L), sweaty/rancid (butanoic
V.M. Lieb et al.
acid; 96.25 mg/L), honey-like (honey; 5000 mg/L), floral (linalool;
17 mg/L in 0.01% ethanol), cress-like (benzyl isothiocyanate; 7 mg/L
in 0.02% ethanol), pumpkin-/melon-like ((Z)-6-nonen-1-ol; 0.1 mg/L in
0.01% ethanol), cardboard-like ((E)-2-nonenal; 0.0069 mg/L in 0.01%
ethanol), and fruity (ethyl butanoate; 1.52 mg/L in 0.02% ethanol).
2.6.1.2. Training of the panellists. The sensory panel consisted of
students and staff of the University of Costa Rica (n = 13, 4 male, 9
female, aged 21–56 years). To evaluate their ability to detect
differences among the purees, the panellists had to pass a fragrance
matching test according to Meilgaard, Civille, & Carr (2007). The panel
was semi-trained in four individual sessions according to Silva et al.
(2012). The Optimized Descriptive Profile applied allows a quantitative
evaluation of sensory attributes within a shorter testing time compared
to conventional profiling. This rapid approach permits a high
discrimination between samples and even the correlation between
instrumental and sensory measurements (Silva et al., 2012, 2013).
Homogenised pulp from unripe ‘Pococí’ was used as a reference
exerting the least possible intensity of the attributes. Pulp spiked with
the aforementioned materials resembled the maximum expression of a
specific attribute in papaya puree. The judges were requested to sniff
the references and memorise the respective odour impression to get
familiarised with the attributes. A short period of resting and cleansing
of the olfactory epithelium with water was recommended between
assessments of the individual odour impressions.
2.6.1.3. Evaluation of the samples. The semi-trained panel evaluated
papaya purees of the cultivars ‘Criolla’, ‘Pococí’, ‘SH-5’, and ‘Silvestre’
in eight sessions. Both the ortho- and retronasal intensities of the
selected attributes were assessed in duplicates. The perceived
intensities were rated on a 9-cm unstructured line scale ranging from
a “weak” to “strong” recognition. In each session, samples and reference
materials, i.e., unripe pulp and spiked samples, were served at the same
time. According to the attribute-by-attribute method, only one
reference and all samples were presented per session. Panellists were
permitted to examine the references prior and during the sensory
evaluation. To avoid sensorial fatigue of panellists between ortho- and
retronasal evaluation, a short resting period was recommended. Sample
evaluation was verified by repeating each session after resting for at
least two hours. Sensory testing was carried out in designed test rooms
with seven individual booths. Samples were presented at room
temperature encoded in a randomised order following the Williams
Latin Square design calculated using Fizz software version 2.3
(Biosystèmes, Couternon, France). Re-tasting of the samples was
allowed. To avoid carry-over effects and neutralise sensory
adaptation, tap water was offered ad libitum to cleanse the palate.
2.6.2. Consumer acceptance testing
Untrained consumers recruited at the University of Costa Rica were
requested to rate the overall acceptance of both papaya fruits and
purees produced thereof. The panellists (n = 100, 41 male, 59 female)
were of different age categories (9% less than 20 years, 67%
21–30 years, 9% 31–40 years, 7% 41–50 years, and 8% 51–60 years)
and varying habit of papaya consumption (2% never, 14% daily, 45%
weekly, 22% monthly, and 17% yearly). Consumer acceptance testing
was performed according to DIN 10974 (2008) using a 10-cm hybrid
hedonic scale ranging from “disliked extremely” (0), “neither liked nor
disliked” (5) to “liked extremely” (10). Three cubes of approx. 2 × 2 cm
from washed, peeled, and deseeded fruits and 30 g of thawed papaya
puree, respectively, were served in transparent cups without lid. Ran-
domised and encoded samples were served at room temperature. Re-
tasting was permitted. Tap water and a metal spoon were provided to
the consumers.
240
Food Chemistry 248 (2018) 238–246
2.7. Statistical analysis
To visualise the clustering of papaya purees based on their volatiles,
unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) was calculated with
Solo software version 8.0.1 (Eigenvector Research, Wenatchee, WA,
USA) using the concentrations of all volatiles. Data was preprocessed
using the “autoscale” function of the Solo software. Venetian blinds
cross validation was applied. Discriminative marker compounds were
calculated based on the absolute loadings and the variances explained
by the PCs as previously reported (Steingass, Jutzi, Müller, Carle, &
Schmarr, 2015). The 20% most important compounds are listed in
Table 2.
To classify all papaya purees in a supervised discrimination, partial
least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was performed.
Concentrations of individual volatiles were considered as X-variables,
the four cultivars as categorical Y-variables. Variable identification
(VID) coefficients, i.e., the correlation coefficients between the original
X-variables and the Y-variables revealed by PLS-DA were used to
identify the most discriminative compounds (Steingass et al., 2015).
Volatiles with absolute VID coefficients higher than 0.80 (VID ≥ |0.80|)
are summarized in Table 3. PLS-DA biplot was drawn with OriginPro 8
(OriginLab, Northampton, MA, USA).
Univariate statistical data evaluation of morphological traits, physico-
chemical characteristics, concentrations of volatiles displayed in Fig. 2,
descriptive sensory analysis, and the consumer acceptance test was per-
formed using SAS software release 3.3 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA).
Significant differences of means were determined by analysis of variance
(ANOVA). Shapiro–Wilk test (p ≤ 0.05) and Levene’s test (p ≤ 0.01) were
applied to test normality and homogeneity of variances, respectively
(Schweiggert et al., 2012). Data sets with normal distribution and
homogeneous variance were compared using Tukey’s multiple range test
(p ≤ 0.05). Pairwise Welch’s test and Kruskal–Wallis test (both p ≤ 0.05)
were applied on normally distributed data with unequal variance and
samples without normal distribution, respectively.
Pearson correlations between means of retronasal descriptor in-
tensities and concentrations of volatile marker compounds among all
samples were calculated using SAS software and visualized in a heat-
map drawn with OriginPro 2016G (OriginLab Corporation,
Northampton, MA, USA).
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Morphological traits
The morphological traits of papaya fruits are important to estimate
the product yield during industrial processing. Efficient processing of
papaya puree requires cultivars with large fruits, a high proportion of
edible pulp, and low residue fractions, i.e., peel and seeds. In our study,
the average fruit weights of hermaphrodite fruits were significantly
higher (1426–2543 g; Table S1) than those of female plants (436–865 g).
Hermaphrodite fruits were found to be advantageous, due to their higher
pulp (75.3–86.0%) and lower seed proportions (5.4–10.6%). Among all
cultivars, ‘Criolla’ exhibited both the highest total fruit weights
(2543 ± 349 g) and relative amount of pulp (86.0 ± 1.1%), which was
accompanied by significantly lower seed proportions (5.4 ± 1.3%).
Consequently, Schweiggert et al. (2012) have previously suggested
‘Criolla’ as an appropriate cultivar for the economical production of pa-
paya puree. In the present study, ‘Criolla’ and ‘Pococí’ stood out by the
highest puree yields (51–54%) compared to the other cultivars yielding
40–42% of puree when processing at a pilot-plant scale.
3.2. HS-SPME-GC–MS profiling analysis
3.2.1. Assignment of individual volatiles
A total of 83 volatiles was assigned in all samples (Table 1), 76 of
them in purees obtained from ‘Criolla’, 80 in ‘Pococí’, 72 in ‘SH-5’, and
V.M. Lieb et al. Food Chemistry 248 (2018) 238–246

Table 1
Assignment of volatiles in Carica papaya L. purees after HS-SPME-GC–MS analysis.

No. Identity CAS LRIDB-Wax LRIDB-1ms Concentrationa Criteriab

Exp. Lit. Exp. Lit. Criolla Pococí SH-5 Silvestre

1 Acetone 67-64-1 820 8201 488 4891 0.006 0.003 0.002 0.002 MS, LRIP,A, S
2 Ethyl acetate 141-78-6 889 8881 603 6031 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 MS, LRIP,A, S
3 Ethanol 64-17-5 933 9291 – – < 0.001 < 0.001 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP, S
4 Pentanald 110-62-3 982 9821 – – < 0.001 < 0.001 – < 0.001 MS, LRIP
5 Methyl butanoate 623-42-7 989 9891 706 7061 0.187 0.136 0.002 0.067 MS, LRIP,A, S
6 Ethyl butanoate 105-54-4 1033 10331 779 7792 0.001 < 0.001 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP,A, S
7 Butyl acetate 123-86-4 1065 10651 795 7951 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
8 Hexanal 66-25-1 1078 10771 767 7661 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.001 MS, LRIP,A, S
9 Methyl pentanoate 624-24-8 1082 10821 805 8001 < 0.001 < 0.001 – < 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
10 Methyl (E)-2-butenoate 623-43-8 1107 11101 734 7261 0.021 0.005 – 0.002 MS, LRIP,A
11 β-Myrcenec 123-35-3 1157 11571 – – – < 0.001 0.002 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
12 Heptanal 111-71-7 1183 11832 872 8721 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
13 Methyl hexanoate 106-70-7 1184 11841 906 9061 0.008 0.017 0.001 0.010 MS, LRIP,A, S
14 Ethyl hexanoate 123-66-0 1231 12311 980 9801 – < 0.001 0.002 < 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
15 (Z)-β-Ocimene + 3338-55-4 1246 12451 1025 10251 < 0.001 < 0.001 0.002 < 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
(E)-β-Ocimene 3779-61-1 12491 1035 10351
16 3-Methylbutyl butanoate + 106-27-4 1261 12594 – – – – < 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
Methyl (E)-3-hexenoated 13894-61-6 12591 – –
17 Acetoinc 513-86-0 1283 12831 – – < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
18 Octanal 124-13-0 1286 12871 977 9771 0.002 0.002 0.003 0.002 MS, LRIP,A
19 Methyl (E)-2-hexenoate 13894-63-8 1287 12841 941 9391 0.005 0.002 – 0.003 MS, LRIP,A
20 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one 110-93-0 1334 13332 960 9602 0.008 0.009 0.009 0.002 MS, LRIP,A
21 1-Hexanol 111-27-3 1356 13564 – – < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
22 Methyl 2-hydroxybutanoate 29674-47-3 1377 13653 808 8021 0.003 0.001 – 0.002 MS, LRIP,A
23 Methyl octanoate 111-11-5 1388 13871 1105 11051 0.010 0.003 < 0.001 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
24 Nonanal 124-19-6 1391 13941 1079 10822 0.010 0.009 0.010 0.009 MS, LRIP,A
25 Methyl 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoatec,d 17417-00-4 1399 13961 – – 0.001 0.001 – < 0.001 MS, LRIP
26 Methyl 2-(methylthio) acetate 16630-66-3 1404 14021 – – 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 0.001 MS, LRIP
27 Methyl 2,4-hexadienoate (isomer 1)c,d 1515-80-6 1428 14441 – – 0.001 < 0.001 – – MS, LRIP
28 Ethyl benzyl etherc,d 539-30-0 1435 14391 – – < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
29 (E)-Linalool furanoxide 5989-33-3 1442 14445 1052 10605 0.386 0.318 0.163 0.149 MS, LRIP,A, S
30 Methyl (E,E)-2,4-hexadienoated 689-89-4 1448 14511 – – 0.003 0.001 0.001 0.001 MS, LRIP, S
31 Furfural 98-01-1 1455 14541 800 8001 < 0.001 0.002 < 0.001 – MS, LRIP,A
32 1-Heptanol 111-70-6 1460 14601 – – < 0.001 < 0.001 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
33 (Z)-Linalool furanoxide 34995-77-2 1470 14715 1066 10735 0.013 0.021 0.493 0.012 MS, LRIP,A, S
34 Methyl 3-hydroxybutanoate 1487-49-6 1480 14781 823 8261 0.026 0.007 < 0.001 0.005 MS, LRIP,A
35 (E,E)-2,4-Heptadienald 4313-03-5 1486 14861 976 9781 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
36 Decanal 112-31-2 1495 14971 1180 11801 0.009 0.007 0.007 0.007 MS, LRIP,A
37 1-(2-Furanyl)-ethanonec,d 1192-62-7 1498 14981 – – < 0.001 0.001 – – MS, LRIP
38 Unknown – 1501 – – – < 0.001 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 –
39 Benzaldehyde 100-52-7 1512 15131 921 9211 0.008 0.007 0.004 0.004 MS, LRIP,A
40 Methyl 2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoatec 40348-72-9 1525 15103 – – 0.010 0.003 < 0.001 0.007 MS, LRIP
41 Linalool 78-70-6 1551 15511 1082 10821 0.029 0.232 3.964 0.191 MS, LRIP,A, S
42 1-Octanol 111-87-5 1563 15641 1056 10561 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
43 5-Methylfurfurald 620-02-0 1565 15661 924 9241 – 0.001 – – MS, LRIP,A
44 Methyl decanoatec 110-42-9 1593 15931 – – 0.002 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
45 Methyl benzoate 93-58-3 1611 16111 1061 10611 0.011 0.003 – 0.003 MS, LRIP,A
46 Hotrienol 29957-43-5 1612 16121 – – < 0.001 0.001 0.014 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
47 Butanoic acid 107-92-6 1630 16301 770 7761 0.036 0.022 0.024 0.027 MS, LRIP,A, S
48 Methyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate 21188-58-9 1645 16431 1024 10261 0.009 0.003 – 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
49 4-Methyl-4-vinylbutyro-lactone 1073-11-6 1655 16351 989 9991 0.006 0.005 0.002 0.003 MS, LRIP,A
50 1-Nonanol + 143-08-8 1665 16651 1154 11541 0.002 0.002 0.002 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
Benzyl isocyanate 3173-56-6 – – –
51 γ-Hexalactone 695-06-7 1687 16851 996 9991 0.007 0.003 0.003 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
52 Methyl geranate 2349-14-6 1689 16861 1298 12981 0.001 0.005 0.009 0.018 MS, LRIP,A
53 α-Terpineol 98-55-5 1695 16951 1163 11621 – – 0.003 – MS, LRIP,A
54 Dodecanal 112-54-9 1705 17051 – – 0.002 0.001 0.001 0.001 MS, LRIP
55 (E)-Linalool pyranoxide 39028-58-5 1737 17416 1147 11493 0.053 0.021 0.013 0.015 MS, LRIP,A
56 Methyl salicylate 119-36-8 1759 17581 1158 11581 0.002 0.006 0.004 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
57 (Z)-Linalool pyranoxide 14009-71-3 1764 17646 1140 – 0.002 0.002 0.023 0.001 MS, LRIP
58 δ-Hexalactone 823-22-3 1773 17721 1032 10421 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
59 Unknown – 1810 – – – 0.003 0.002 0.002 0.001 –
60 Ethyl dodecanoate 106-33-2 1842 18421 – – 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
61 (E)-Geraniol + 106-24-1 1849 18501 1231 12311 0.008 0.013 0.020 0.006 MS, LRIP,A, S
Dihydropseudoionone 689-67-8 18441 1423 14231 MS, LRIP,A
62 Benzyl butanoatec 103-37-7 1849 18561 – – 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.002 MS, LRIP
63 Hexanoic acid 142-62-1 1857 18581 968 9671 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
64 Benzyl alcohol 100-51-6 1870 18701 1000 10001 0.009 0.006 0.007 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
65 Epoxylinalool furanoxide, (isomer 1)c 93780-28-0 1874 18677 – – 0.001 0.003 0.006 0.001 MS, LRIP
66 Epoxylinalool furanoxide, (isomer 2)c 93780-28-0 1882 18777 – – < 0.001 0.001 0.004 – MS, LRIP
67 Geranyl butanoated 106-29-6 1891 18901 1534 15341 – < 0.001 0.003 < 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
68 γ-Octalactone 104-50-7 1898 18981 1200 12081 0.003 0.002 0.010 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
(continued on next page)

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V.M. Lieb et al. Food Chemistry 248 (2018) 238–246

Table 1 (continued)

No. Identity CAS LRIDB-Wax LRIDB-1ms Concentrationa Criteriab

Exp. Lit. Exp. Lit. Criolla Pococí SH-5 Silvestre

69 Benzyl nitrile 140-29-4 1910 19101 1081 10841 0.078 0.073 0.060 0.009 MS, LRIP,A
70 β-Ionone 14901-07-6 1926 19262 1452 14703 0.003 0.002 0.003 0.002 MS, LRIP,A
71 δ-Octalactone 698-76-0 1948 19471 1225 12411 0.002 0.002 0.005 < 0.001 MS, LRIP,A
72 2,6-Dimethyl-3,7-octadiene-2,6-diolc 13741-21-4 1954 19571 – – < 0.001 < 0.001 0.006 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
73 1-Dodecanolc 112-53-8 1972 19731 – – 0.003 0.002 0.003 0.001 MS, LRIP
74 Unknown – 2015 – – – 0.008 0.001 0.001 0.001 –
75 Octanoic acid 124-07-2 2066 20661 1163 11621 0.002 0.002 0.002 0.002 MS, LRIP,A
76 1-Tridecanolc,d 112-70-9 2074 20761 – – 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.001 MS, LRIP
77 Benzyl isothiocyanate 622-78-6 2080 20711 1306 13171 0.024 0.303 0.013 0.030 MS, LRIP,A, S
78 Epoxylinalool pyranoxidec 390368-69-1 2148 21417 – – < 0.001 0.001 0.001 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
79 2,6-Dimethyl-1,7-octadiene-3,6-diolc 51276-33-6 2136 21351 – – – – 0.006 < 0.001 MS, LRIP
80 2-Ethylhexyl salicylated 118-60-5 2286 – 1769 17692 0.017 0.012 0.013 0.011 MS, LRIP,A
81 Decanoic acidc 334-48-5 2293 22951 – – 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.001 MS, LRIP
82 Dodecanoic acidc 143-07-7 2502 25021 – – < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 0.001 MS, LRIP
83 Benzyl salicylatec,d 118-58-1 2774 27711 – – 0.002 0.002 0.002 0.001 MS, LRIP

References: 1NIST 08 library. 2National Institute of Standards (2015). 3Pino et al. (2003). 4Pino (2014). 5Kreis et al. (1996). 6Weinert et al. (1998). 7Winterhalter et al. (1986).
a
Mean concentrations were expressed as mg ( ± )-2-octanol equivalents per kg papaya puree determined on a polar DB-Wax column.
b
Identification criteria: MS, mass spectra; LRI, linear retention index on a polar (P) and an apolar (A) column. S, authentic reference standard.
c
Tentatively assigned.
d
Assigned for the first time in papaya products.

77 in ‘Silvestre’. The detected volatiles comprised 29 esters and lac-
tones, 19 terpenes, 11 aldehydes, 8 alcohols, 5 volatile acids, 4 ketones,
4 miscellaneous and 3 heteroatomic compounds. 64 of them have been
previously reported as volatile constituents of Carica papaya L. (Flath &
Forrey, 1977; Idstein, Keller, & Schreier, 1985; Idstein & Schreier, 1985;
Jirovetz et al., 2003; Kelebek et al., 2015; Pino, 2014; Pino et al., 2003;
Schwab, Mahr, & Schreier, 1989). The remaining compounds have been
reported as fruit constituents; however, to the best of our knowledge,
were assigned as papaya volatiles for the first time. The novel papaya
constituents pentanal (4), methyl (E)-3-hexenoate (16), methyl 2-hy-
droxy-3-methylbutanoate (25), ethyl benzyl ether (28), methyl (E,E)-
2,4-hexadienoate (30) and a corresponding isomer (27), (E,E)-2,4-
heptadienal (35), 1-(2-furanyl)-ethanone (acetylfuran, 37), 5-methyl-
furfural (43), geranyl butanoate (67), 1-tridecanol (76), 2-ethylhexyl
salicylate (80), and benzyl salicylate (83) have previously been re-
ported in fruits such as pineapple, apple, mango, litchi, passion fruit, or
guava (Ferreira, Perestrelo, Caldeira, & Câmara, 2009; Fröhlich &
Schreier, 1986; Nishimura, Yamaguchi, Mihara, & Shibamoto, 1989;
Pino, Mesa, Muñoz, Martí, & Marbot, 2005; Steingass, Carle, & Schmarr,
2015; Werkhoff, Güntert, Krammer, Sommer, & Kaulen, 1998). In the
present study, (E)- and (Z)-isomers of both furanoid (29, 33) and pyr-
anoid (55, 57) linalool oxides and three epoxylinalool oxide diaster-
eomers (furanoid: 65, 66, pyranoid: 78) were assigned based on their
retention indices and elution orders reported in previous studies (Kreis,
Dietrich, & Mosandl, 1996; Weinert, Wüst, Mosandl, & Hanssum, 1998;
Winterhalter et al., 1986).
Representative HS-SPME-GC–MS total ion current (TIC) chromato-
grams of ‘Criolla’, ‘Pococí’, ‘SH-5’, and ‘Silvestre’ purees are given as
Supplementary data to this work (Fig. S1). Maximum total concentra-
tion of volatiles was found in ‘SH-5’ puree (4.99 ± 1.18 mg/kg), fol-
lowed by ‘Pococí’ (1.34 ± 0.54 mg/kg), ‘Criolla’ (1.10 ± 0.33 mg/
kg), and ‘Silvestre’ (0.67 ± 0.56 mg/kg). Terpenes prevailed in all
cultivars. Interestingly, linalool was the predominant terpene in purees
produced from female ‘SH-5’ and ‘Silvestre’ plants. By contrast, highest
abundance of (E)-linalool furanoxide was found in samples of the her-
maphrodite ‘Criolla’ and ‘Pococí’. The highest proportion of terpenes
was determined in ‘SH-5’ puree (95.6% of the total volatiles). ‘Criolla’
was characterised by the highest proportions of alcohols (1.5%), esters
and lactones (31.6%), ketones (1.3%), and miscellaneous compounds
(1.0%). In contrast, ‘Pococí’ exhibited the largest proportion of het-
eroatomic compounds (28.9%), and ‘Silvestre’ contained aldehydes
(4.1%) and volatile acids (5.2%).
3.2.2. Principal component analysis (PCA)
A PCA was calculated based on the concentrations of the individual
volatiles determined on a polar DB-Wax column to further explore the
differences among the puree samples. Fig. 1A illustrates the corre-
sponding biplot. The first two principal components (PCs) of the model
explained 47.45% of the total variance among the samples with con-
tributions of 32.07% by PC1 and 15.38% by PC2, respectively. In spite
of the comparatively low variance explained by the model, PCA per-
mitted a clear-cut separation of the samples into three major clusters.
‘SH-5’ and ‘Criolla’ purees were discriminated along PC1, indicating
distinct differences in their volatile profiles. Owing to their comparable
composition of volatiles, the hybrid ‘Pococí’ and the wild-type ‘Sil-
vestre’ formed a single cluster located in-between those of the line
cultivars ‘SH-5’ and ‘Criolla’, respectively. Tentative marker compounds
mostly contributing to the clustering of the samples by PCA are sum-
marised in Table 2. The most discriminative compounds were δ- and γ-
octalactone (71, 68). As can be deduced from the location of the cor-
responding loadings and the scores resembling the puree samples in the
PCA biplot (Fig. 1A), the aforementioned lactones strongly correlated
with ‘SH-5’ samples. Moreover, terpenes such as linalool (41) and re-
lated volatiles (15, 33, 46, 53, 57, 66, 72, 79) were linked to the ‘SH-5’
cluster. In contrast, esters (10, 34, 48) along with (E)-linalool pyran-
oxide (55) and acetone (1) contributed to the separation of the ‘Criolla’
samples. Compared to purees from ‘SH-5’ and ‘Criolla’, those from
‘Pococí’ and ‘Silvestre’ only contained minor concentrations of the
aforementioned compounds (see Fig. 2).
3.2.3. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA)
As an alternative statistical approach, supervised PLS–DA was per-
formed to discriminate the purees based on their volatiles. The first two
latent variables (LV1 and LV2) of the PLS-DA illustrated by Fig. 1B
explained 58.49% of the variance in the Y-variables. PLS-DA even
permitted an improved discrimination of ‘Criolla’ purees from the ‘Po-
cocí’ and ‘Silvestre’ cluster. A substantial portion of correlation loadings
was located closely to ‘SH-5’ and ‘Criolla’ samples, thus reflecting their
deviating composition of volatiles compared to the intermediate che-
motypes ‘Pococí’ and ‘Silvestre’. To identify the most discriminative
volatiles contributing to the observed class separation, variable iden-
tification (VID) coefficients were calculated (Table 3). Volatiles with
VID ≥ |0.80| discriminating ‘SH-5’ were predominantly terpene alco-
hols such as linalool (41) and related volatiles (11, 15, 33, 46, 53, 57,
72, 79). In agreement with the results obtained by PCA, volatiles from

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V.M. Lieb et al. Food Chemistry 248 (2018) 238–246

Fig. 1. PCA (A) and PLS-DA (B) biplots calculated based on concentrations of papaya puree volatiles determined using a DB-Wax capillary column. Large icons represent the scores
(‘Criolla’ □, ‘Pococí’ △, ‘SH-5’ ○, and ‘Silvestre’ ×), small circles the correlation loadings resembling the individual volatiles. Tentative marker compounds (filled circles) are compiled in
Table 2 and 3, respectively. The correlation loadings for the categorical Y-variables, i.e., the four papaya cultivars, are displayed as vectors.

Table 2 compared to 2.2–3.9. Honey-like: 5.6 ± 2.4 compared to 2.9–3.6).

Tentative marker compounds identified via PCA to differentiate purees of Costa Rican Franco, Rodriguez-Amaya, and Damásio (1993) have also reported a
papaya cultivars.
flowery aroma and sweet flavour in Brazilian ‘Solo’ cultivars. The
Identity (peak no.) PC 1 (32.07%) PC 2 (15.38%) pleasant retronasal impressions of ‘SH-5’ puree may be attributed to its
unique volatile composition as revealed by PCA and PLS-DA (Fig. 1).
δ-Octalactone (71) 0.124 0.148 Pearson correlations between retronasal descriptor intensities
γ-Octalactone (68) 0.154 0.131
(Fig. 3B) and the concentrations of discriminative volatiles (Tables 2
(Z)-Linalool pyranoxide (57) 0.168 0.104
(Z)-Linalool furanoxide (33) 0.174 0.096
and 3) among all samples are illustrated by Fig. 3C. Positive correla-
α-Terpineol (53) 0.173 0.088 tions (p ≤ 0.05) were found between the attributes honey-like, floral,
Hotrienol (46) 0.176 0.097 and pumpkin-/melon-like and the concentrations of linalool (41) and
Methyl 3-hydroxybutanoate (34) −0.153 0.157 related volatiles (11, 15, 33, 46, 53, 57, 66, 67, 72, 79) as well as ethyl
Linalool (41) 0.177 0.102
hexanoate (14), γ-octalactone (68), and δ-octalactone (71)
Epoxylinalool furanoxide (isomer 2) (66) 0.142 0.043
(E)-Linalool pyranoxide (55) −0.134 0.182 (0.94 ≤ r ≤ 0.98). Furthermore, epoxylinalool furanoxide (isomer 2,
2,6-Dimethyl-3,7-octadiene-2,6-diol (72) 0.172 0.106 66), γ-octalactone (68), and δ-octalactone (71) were positively corre-
Acetone (1) −0.129 0.174 lated with the fruity attribute (0.95 ≤ r ≤ 0.98). Most of the afore-
Methyl (E)-2-butenoate (10) −0.134 0.162 mentioned volatiles have been described to exert pleasant odour im-
2,6-Dimethyl-1,7-octadiene-3,6-diol (79) 0.174 0.095
Methyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate (48) −0.147 0.165
pressions such as sweet, floral, fruity, and herbal-green (El-Sayed,
(Z)-β-Ocimene + (E)-β-Ocimene (15) 0.151 0.144 2016). Noteworthy, elevated concentrations of epoxylinalool furan-
oxide (isomer 2, 66), γ-octalactone (68), and δ-octalactone (71) were
especially found in ‘SH-5’ puree (Table 2 and 3). Thus, in particular,
‘Criolla’ were predominantly esters (10, 30, 34, 48). Owing to the in- terpenes and lactones are assumed to contribute to the pleasant aroma
termediate composition of volatiles, no compounds with VID ≥ |0.80| of this cultivar.
were found discriminating ‘Silvestre’ samples. Only furfural (3) was
positively correlated with volatiles from ‘Pococí’ puree.
3.4. Consumer acceptance testing
3.3. Descriptive sensory analysis
Fruits from hermaphrodite plants, i.e., ‘Criolla’ (7.1 ± 2.4 points;
The ortho- and retronasal odour profiles of the papaya purees are Table S3) and ‘Pococí’ (7.0 ± 2.2), were clearly preferred compared to
illustrated by Fig. 3. Even though a semi-trained panel was used for those from female plants (‘SH-5’: 6.0 ± 3.0; ‘Silvestre’: 4.3 ± 2.6).
descriptive sensory analysis, significant differences were found in the These findings are in accordance with the results of Peleg (1979). In-
orthonasal attributes honey-like (p ≤ 0.0001; see Fig. 3A) and fruity terestingly, the hermaphrodite cultivars were characterised by higher
(p ≤ 0.01). In particular, these were rated at lower intensities in the pulp firmness (‘Pococí’: 2.91 N, ‘Criolla’: 1.47 N; Table S1), possibly
puree obtained from the wild-type ‘Silvestre’ (honey-like: 1.7 ± 1.7 being associated with freshness by the consumer. Similarly, Santana,
intensity scores compared to 4.7–5.3 in the other cultivars. Fruity: Matsuura, and Cardoso (2004) have reported a higher consumer ac-
2.5 ± 2.0 compared to 4.1–5.3). ceptance of Brazilian papaya fruits having a firm flesh.
When assessing the retronasal odour profiles (Fig. 3B), more pro- Moreover, all purees were significantly lower rated than their re-
nounced differences were found. The most distinctive attributes were spective fresh fruits. Purees from ‘Pococí’ (4.9 ± 2.7) and ‘SH-5’
floral (p ≤ 0.01), fruity (p ≤ 0.0001), and honey-like (p ≤ 0.05). These (4.4 ± 2.8) were preferred followed by those from ‘Criolla’
pleasant attributes were especially higher rated in ‘SH-5’ puree (floral: (3.7 ± 2.6) and ‘Silvestre’ (3.1 ± 2.8). Although, the acceptance of
5.7 ± 2.0 intensity scores compared to 2.2–3.1. Fruity: 6.7 ± 2.0 fresh ‘Pococí’ and ‘Criolla’ fruits did not differ significantly, ‘Pococí’

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V.M. Lieb et al. Food Chemistry 248 (2018) 238–246

Fig. 2. Concentrations of tentative marker compounds revealed by PCA (see Table 2) to differentiate papaya purees produced from different cultivars. Different letters indicate significant
differences of mean concentrations (p ≤ 0.05) between the papaya cultivars.

Table 3
Tentative marker compounds (VID ≥ |0.80|) identified via PLS-DA to discriminate papaya purees.

VID Criolla Identity VID Pococí Identity VID SH-5 Identity VID Silvestre Identity
(peak no.) (peak no.) (peak no.) (peak no.)

0.98 Methyl 3-hydroxybutanoate (34) 0.83 Furfural (31) 0.98 Hotrienol (46) n.d.
0.98 Methyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate (48) 0.98 Linalool (41)
0.95 Methyl benzoate (45) 0.97 (Z)-Linalool furanoxide (33)
0.92 (E)-Linalool pyranoxide (55) 0.96 α-Terpineol (53)
0.91 Methyl octanoate (23) 0.96 2,6-Dimethyl-3,7-octadiene-2,6-diol (72)
0.90 Methyl (E)-2-butenoate (10) 0.96 2,6-Dimethyl-1,7-octadiene-3,6-diol (79)
0.90 Acetone (1) 0.95 (Z)-Linalool pyranoxide (57)
0.86 γ-Hexalactone (51) 0.92 Geranyl butanoate (67)
0.85 Methyl (E,E)-2,4-hexadienoate (30) 0.92 β-Myrcene (11)
0.84 Unknown (74) 0.91 γ-Octalactone (68)
0.83 Methyl decanoate (44) 0.89 (Z)-β-Ocimene + (E)-β-Ocimene (15)
0.82 Methyl pentanoate (9) 0.87 Ethyl hexanoate (14)
0.82 Methyl 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoate (25) 0.86 Hexanal (8)
0.81 Methyl 2-hydroxybutanoate (22) 0.83 Acetoin (17)

n.d., no volatiles detected fulfilling the requirements of VID ≥ |0.80|.

puree (4.9 ± 2.7) was significantly better accepted than processed
‘Criolla’ (3.7 ± 2.6). Moreover, ‘Pococí’ puree had significantly higher
a∗-values (35.70 ± 1.19; Table S2) compared to processed ‘Criolla’
(29.40 ± 1.82). A higher acceptability of strawberry nectars having
higher a∗-values has previously been reported by Gössinger et al.
(2009). Regardless of gender and age of the panellists, puree from the
wild-type ‘Silvestre’ was least accepted. Possibly, due to its intense
fruity, floral, and honey-like odours in the retronasal aroma profile,
17% of the consumers accepted ‘SH-5’ puree (higher than 7.0 points).
Noteworthy, judges aged over 50 years of age and heavy users, i.e.,
panellists who daily consumed papaya, accepted the puree of the latter
cultivar. However, still 25% of the consumers would accept ‘Pococí’
puree, in particular, those being accustomed to eat papaya.
3.5. Conclusions
Gas chromatographic and sensory profiling permitted an in-depth
characterisation of volatiles and sensory properties of papaya purees
originating from unique Costa Rican cultivars. Processing yields were
highest from ‘Criolla’ (54 ± 2%) and ‘Pococí’ (51 ± 7%) fruits, thus
representing the most economic cultivars among all samples assessed.
However, ‘Pococí’ puree excelled by significantly higher consumer ac-
ceptance compared to ‘Criolla’. Purees of terpene-rich chemotypes such
as ‘SH-5’ expressed pleasant retronasal odour impressions in the de-
scriptive sensory analysis. Consequently, in particular, ‘Pococí’ and ‘SH-
5’ may be recommended for industrial processing. Papaya puree may be
added to blended fruit nectars to increase their nutritional potential
rather than being consumed directly.

244
V.M. Lieb et al.
Fig. 3. Ortho- (A) and retronasal (B) sensory profiles of papaya purees. Asterisks indicate
significant (*p ≤ 0.05; **p ≤ 0.01; ****p ≤ 0.0001) differences of means in the descriptor
intensities. Heat-map (C) illustrating the Pearson correlations between retronasal de-
scriptor intensities and concentrations of volatile marker compounds calculated by PCA
(Table 2) and PLS-DA (Table 3). Positive correlations are displayed in red, negative
correlations in green.
245
Food Chemistry 248 (2018) 238–246
Future research may particularly target at the influence of proces-
sing parameters like temperature, heating duration and/or acidification
on the papaya puree volatiles. Moreover, sensory activity of individual
aroma compounds may be determined to identify key volatiles causing
the off-odour emerging during heating. The effect of processing on
concentrations of valuable nutrients such as ascorbic acid and car-
otenoids may represent an interesting topic of further studies. Papaya
purees contained a large number of chiral volatiles, inter alia terpenes
and lactones. Therefore, chirospecific analysis of such compounds may
be a suitable tool for authenticity assessment of high-priced papaya
products so far lacking detailed investigations.
Compliance with ethics requirements
This article does not contain any studies with human or animal
subjects.
Acknowledgements
V.M.L. acknowledges a travel grant provided by the German
Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). We are indebted to Eric Mora-
Newcomer from the Universidad de Costa Rica (Estación Experimental
Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno, Alajuela, Costa Rica) for kindly pro-
viding the fruit samples and Priv.-Doz. Dr. Ralf M. Schweiggert
(University of Hohenheim) for the fruitful discussions and his valuable
support. Furthermore, we are grateful for the great collaboration of the
sensory panels at the Universidad de Costa Rica and the University of
Hohenheim.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in the
online version, at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.12.027.
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