IDENTIFICATION OF VACUUM STEAM‐DISTILLED AROMA COMPOUNDS IN THE PRESS JUICE OF ARCTIC BRAMBLE, Rubus arcticus L.

The present study is concerned with the steam‐distilled, volatile aroma compounds in the press juice of arctic bramble, Rubus arcticus L. More than 60 of over 200 components were identified by means of glass capillary gas chromatography‐mass spectiometry systems. The total amount of the compounds identified in the press juice was 70–80 ppm. The main aroma component was 2,5‐dimethyl‐4‐methoxy‐2,3‐dihydro 3‐furanone. Smaller amounts of 2,5‐dimethyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2,3‐dihydro‐3‐furanone were also found in the juice. The compounds identified, which cover about 90% of the total aroma concentrate, included further, 11 aliphatic alcohols, 8 aliphatic acids, 8 aliphatic esters, 12 are matic compounds, 9 non aromatic terpenes, 9 aliphatic carbonyls (including acetoin, diacetyl and diacetone alcohol), 2 lactones and one nitrogen‐containing compound, ethyl nicotinate. The most abundant compounds in the press juice were 2,5‐dimethyl‐4‐methoxy‐2,3‐dihydro‐3‐furanone, acetoin, acetaldehyde, 2‐heptanol, a pentenol (evidently trans‐3‐penten‐1‐ol), acetic acid, ethyl acetate, ethanol, linalool, 3‐methyl‐2‐buten‐1‐ol and cis‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol. All these compounds exceeded 1 ppm in the fresh press juice. The aroma composition of cultivated berries was compared with that of wild berries from a different source.