The effects of climatic conditions and geographical locations on the volatile flavor compounds of fig (<i>Ficus carica</i> L.) fruit from Iran

Abstract

The effects of climatic conditions and geographical locations on the volatile flavor compounds of Ficus carica fruit were investigated in this study. Fruit flavor compounds were extracted by using ultrasound (US) water bath apparatus and eluted by n-pentane, diethyl ether (1:2) solvent and then analyzed by gas  chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Fifty-one fruit compounds and fifty fruit compounds in the Garmsar and Karaj location, respectively including aldehydes, alcohols, esters, ketones, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and other compounds were indentified and quantified. The major flavor compounds of F. carica fruit obtained from Garmsar and Karaj location were P-cymene, decanol, carvacrol, tricosane, tetracosane, pentacosane, heptacosane, octacosane and  nonacosane. Compared with Karaj location, Garmsar showed the highest content of aldehydes and alcohols. Since the aldehydes and alcohols content of F. carica fruit is considered as one of the more important indicators of high quality; climatic conditions and geographical locations apparently have a profound influence on F. carica volatile quality.

Key words: Ficus carica L., fig fruit, flavor compounds, climatic conditions, geographical locations,  ultrasound.