Identification of the most potent odorants in huitlacoche (Ustilago maydis) and austern pilzen (Pleurotus sp.) by aroma extract dilution analysis and static head-space samples

Aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) and gas chromatography-olfactometry of static head-space analysis of huitlacoche (Ustilago maydis) and austern pilzen (Pleurotus sp.) were performed. Comparison of the two mushrooms' volatiles revealed tremendous differences, since 32 odorants were found in huitlacoche and only 19 in austern pilzen. However, only eight out of 32 compounds found by the AEDA screening were also detected by the head-space analysis for huitlacoche. On the other hand, 11 out of 19 were found in both analyses for austern pilzen. Among these, the most potent odorant was sotolon with a flavor dilution factors of 10 and 1000 for huitlacoche and austern pilzen, respectively. The results demonstrated that a large number of compounds (hexanal, octanal, decanal, (E,E)-deca-2,4-dienal, (E)-undec-2-enal, and vanillin) play an important role in the overall aroma of huitlacoche and only two (sotolon and an unknown) in the case of austern pilzen.