Odor-Active Compound Stability in Mango Peel Side-Streams: Insights for Valorization and Waste Minimization

Area of Science:

• Food Chemistry
• Aroma Science
• Sustainable Valorization

Background:

• Mango peels are a rich source of volatile compounds with potential for natural flavoring.
• Characterizing the mango peel volatilome is key to unlocking its aromatic applications.
• Understanding the impact of processing on peel aroma is crucial for industrial use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively characterize the volatile compounds in Osteen mango peels at different ripening stages.
• To evaluate the effect of thermal drying on the peel's volatile profile.
• To assess the feasibility of upcycling mango peels into aroma ingredients.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of volatile compounds using Headspace-Solid Phase Microextraction coupled with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS).
• Evaluation of peels from green, ripe, and overripe mangoes.
• Comparison of volatile profiles before and after thermal drying at 45 °C for 18 hours.
• Application of multivariate analyses to interpret volatilome data.

Main Results:

• Identified 76 volatile compounds, including monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, furanics, and norisoprenoids.
• Ripening stage significantly impacted the volatilome of fresh peels.
• Thermal drying substantially reduced the influence of ripening stage on the volatile profile.
• Drying emerged as the dominant factor influencing the stabilized peel volatilome.

Conclusions:

• Mango peels can be uniformly stabilized via thermal drying, irrespective of the initial ripening stage.
• This stabilization process enables the upcycling of mango peels into consistent, aroma-rich ingredients.
• Findings support food waste revalorization strategies in the flavor and fragrance industries.
• Industrial sourcing of raw material is simplified, enhancing the economic viability of mango peel utilization.