Volatile compounds in fresh pulp of pineapple (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.) from French Polynesia

Volatile compounds from fresh pineapple pulp were isolated by organic solvent extraction and were studied by CC/FID and CC/MS. One hundred and eighteen compounds were identified according to their retention time on polar and apolar capillary columns and their mass spectra. They are divided as follow: seven hydrocarbons (3.3%), nine sulfur compounds (10.3%), 42 esters (44.9%), 10 lactones (11.5%), 11 carbonyl compounds (4.7%), 14 acids (7.3%), 11 alcohols and phenols (3.8%), and 14 miscellaneous compounds (143%). Four compounds were found at a level greater than 1 mg/kg, methyl octanoate (1.49 ppm), methyl 3-(methylthio)propanoate (1.14 ppm), methyl hexanoate (1.1 ppm) and 3-methyl-2,5-furanedione (1.07 ppm), three others were detected at a level between 0.5 ppm and 1 ppm and 25 at a level between 0.1 ppm and 0.5 ppm. Of these 118 compounds, 71 have already been described in the literature to be present in pineapple aroma. our study showed that among the 47 newly detected volatile constituents, five free phenolic compounds, four sulfur compounds and a family of furanoid compounds were observed for the first time in the composition of the pineapple aroma.