Impact of polyphenols on the headspace concentration of aroma compounds in apple cider

To study the effect of polyphenols on the release of aroma compounds in apple cider, the impact of (-)-epicatechin, hydrocaffeic acid and phloridzin on volatility of 12 typical aroma compounds was investigated by headspace solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Analysis of variance results showed that increased concentrations of the phenolic compounds significantly affected the headspace concentration of most aroma compounds. The three polyphenols induced a volatility decrease for the majority of hydrophobic aroma compounds, while they exhibited an opposite behavior by salting out some hydrophilic alcohols. (-)-Epicatechin and hydrocaffeic acid showed a higher retention effect on most hydrophobic aroma compounds than phloridzin did.

This study showed that the polyphenols had varying effects on aroma compound volatility in apple cider. The physicochemical characteristics and spatial conformation of polyphenols and aroma compounds influenced the magnitude of aroma-polyphenol interaction in apple cider. Understanding the effects of polyphenols on aroma release can improve the prediction of aroma profiles through chemical analysis, which assists cidermakers in improving the aroma quality of apple cider. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.