Volatile compounds of fresh and processed garlic

Garlic is used as a spice in cooking due to its unique aroma. The unique aroma of garlic has attracted considerable attention from scientists. The cloves contain large amounts of sulfur-based substances, which as a consequence of their reactive properties, are converted easily to a variety of volatile compounds during processing. The volatile profiles of processed garlic are influenced by processing conditions, such as temperature, pH and solvent. Numerous studies on these changes in volatile compounds that occur during processing have been reported, with a number of types of sulfur-containing volatile compounds being identified in fresh and processed garlic. This review summarizes the volatile components of fresh and processed garlic, particularly those produced by heating and aging. The pungent odor of fresh garlic is contributed mainly to thiosulfinates and their degradation products. During the heating process of garlic, thiosulfinates are mainly decomposed, and nitrogen-containing volatile compounds, such as pyridines and pyrazines are generated. Aldehydes are dominant compounds in black garlic, while esters and phenols are key aroma compounds in aged garlic extract. The slight variations in chemical reactions during the aging process may lead to differences in the aroma of the two types of garlic.