Identification of volatile flavor compounds in roasted coconut

Heating of coconut leads to browning and development of fine roasted flavor. Flavor studies were carried out with control and heated samples of conconut. Gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry analyses of the basic, neutral and acid fractions of flavor, isolated by hydrodistillation and selective extraction, showed the presence of pyrazines and other heterocyclic compounds in heated samples. These compounds contribute to the overall roasted flavor. Twenty pyrazines were identified in roasted coconut, which included pyrazine, methyl pyrazine, dimethyl pyrazines, ethyl methyl pyrazines, vinyl pyrazine and isopropyl pyrazine. Pyrazine content increased with temperature. In addition to these compounds, δ ‐lactones, esters, ketones and fatty acids were present in control and heated samples of coconut.