Free and Glycosidically Bound Volatile Compounds from Two Banana Cultivars: Valery and Pequeña Enana

Headspace composition and glycosidically bound volatile compounds from two banana cultivars, Valery and Pequeña Enana, have been studied. Glycosides were isolated from aqueous extracts of banana pulp by means of an Amberlite XAD-2 column. Volatile compounds were released by enzymatic hydrolysis using almond β-glucosidase and further analyzed by HRGC/MS. Twenty-five main aglycons were analyzed for the first time in banana fruit pulp. These aglycons can be grouped in two biogenetically different groups: fatty acids and shikimic acid-derived compounds. Alcohols, such as decan-1-ol and 2-phenylethanol, and acids, such as 3-oxo-pentanoic acid, 3-methylbutanoic acid, and benzoic acid, were quantitatively the most important aglycons in glycosides isolated from both banana cultivars.