THE AROMA OF EDIBLE MUSHROOMS - HEADSPACE ANALYSIS USING GC FID AND GC FTIR MS

Headspace samples, steam distillates and dichloromethane extracts of the most well liked edible mushrooms (Agaricus campestris, Agaricus bisporus, Lepiota procera, Armillaria mellea, Boletus edulis and Cantharellus cibarius) were investigated by means of GC/FID, GC/FTIR/MS and a GC-sniffing technique. The aim of these analyses was the identification of constituents responsible for the typical mushroom odour of each species. To relate GC/Fouriertransform Infrarot-Detektor/MS (GC/FTIR/MS) data with olfactoric ones, the GC-sniffing technique was used. The results, especially of the headspace samples, showed that 1-octen-3-ol, a well-known mushroom aroma compound, is of basic importance for the top note of the investigated mushrooms. More than seventy constituents that additionally have an effect (qualitatively and quantitatively) on the odour impression of these species were identified. Among them especially C-8-derivatives contribute in a significant way to the headspace odour of most of the samples. Carbonyls and esters (C4-C-14) on the other hand play an important role (e.g. anisaldehyde in Agaricus samples) more in the steam distillate and extract samples.