Characterization of Volatile Compounds of Indian Cress Absolute by GC-Olfactometry/VIDEO-Sniff and Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography

Indian cress (Tropaeolum majus L.) has been consumed in salad or soup for decades, but its odor's detailed molecular composition is still unknown. Here we report on the study of the odorant profile and odor-impact compounds of Indian cress absolute by GC-olfactometry/vocabulary-intensity-duration of elementary odors by sniffing (GC-O/VIDEO-Sniff) on an eight-way multiport system, combined with GCxGC-MS analyses for the identification of odorant trace constituents. Odor impact compounds of Indian cress absolute were determined by GC-O, and the overall influence of sulfury and fruity notes stood out. Forty-four odorant compounds were identified among which 22 (50% of the identified odorant molecules) were identified by using comprehensive two-dimensional GC coupled to a time-of-flight-mass spectrometer (TOFMS). These trace compounds were not detected by 1D-qMS or could only be found with specific searches once they were detected by comprehensive 2D-GC, although they were well perceived by the judges in GC-O. This was amongst others the case for the two molecules having the highest odor impact, (E)-hex-2-enal (fruity) and diethyl trisulfide (alliaceous, sulfury, cabbage). A powerful sulfur-containing odor compound whose first identification in cress was recently reported by the authors was detected by GC-O: O,S-diethyl thiocarbonate (fruity/red fruit and sulfury odor).