Characterization of Volatile Fraction of Saffron from Central Italy (Cascia, Umbria)

Saffron, the world's most expensive spice, is valuable for its color, taste, aroma, and properties, which are influenced by the postharvest treatments. In this research solid-phase micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed to analyze saffron produced in the area of Cascia, central Italy. The samples were dried under different conditions as a function of time and temperature. The main volatiles in addition to safranal were isophorone, 4-ketoisophorone, and 2,2,6-trimethyl-1,4-cyclohexanedione. In some samples, two new compounds (2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene and 1,3,3-trimethyl-7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane-2,5-dione) were identified. Their content increased with drying temperature and time and they could be characteristic of saffron produced in the selected geographical area. Moreover the results confirmed that the drying conditions strongly influenced saffron volatile profile.