Comparative evaluation of potent odorants of boiled beef by aroma extract dilution and concentration analysis

After boiling, beef was extracted with dichloromethane, and the volatile fraction including the solvent was distilled from the non-volatile material. The distillate was divided into two portions; one-half was subjected to aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), and the other to aroma extract concentration analysis (AECA). In the latter case, the AECA was accompanied by a series of gas chromatography-olfactometry (GCO) analyses, whereas in the former (i.e. AEDA) the extract was first concentrated to a small volume and then diluted stepwise for GCO analysis. Both screening procedures confirmed the presence of 32 odorants which were all identified after a 250-fold concentration of the extracts. However, the ranking of the compounds in order of odour potency was different due to losses of the odorants in AEDA. 2-Furfurylthiol and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone followed by 2-methyl-3-furanthiol and a group containing 3-mercapto-2-pentanone, 1-octen-3-one and (E)-2-nonenal were indicated by AECA to be the most potent odorants of boiled beef.