Characterization of the Aroma-Active Compounds in Banana (<i>Musa AAA Red green</i>) and Their Contributions to the Enhancement of Sweetness Perception

Abstract

“Hongmeiren” bananas are popular because of their red peel. Two extraction methods solvent-assisted flavor evaporation and headspace solid-phase microextraction, combined with gas chromatography-olfactometry and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), were used to analyze the volatile components of “Hongmeiren” bananas. A total of 86 aroma compounds were identified by GC–MS, 62 of which were identified as the major aroma-active compounds with an odor activity value ≥ 1 or modified frequency ≥ 30%. Ethyl (E)-2-butenoate, 4-undecanone, and α-phellandrene were found in bananas for the first time. Sensory experiments showed that eight sweet-associated odorants could significantly achieve the sweetness enhancement effect at 30 g/L sucrose solution by odor-induced changes in taste perception. These experiments suggest that selected odorants can achieve sugar reduction, but with consideration of the sugar concentration. The study of the sweetness enhancement effect of individual compounds provides a more direct theoretical support for sugar reduction in the food industry.