Understanding how heat and oxygen affect the aromas and volatile components of Citrus maxima essential oil

A team of researchers from Jimei University in China investigated how heat and oxygen affect the aromas and volatile compounds of pomelo (Citrus maxima) essential oil. The team published their findings in the Journal of Essential Oil Research.

• For this study, the research team analyzed pomelo essential oil using sensory evaluation, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), GC-olfactometry (GC-O), and sensory reconstruction analysis.
• They compared pomelo essential oil with fresh, nitrogen-protected, heated, and oxygen-exposed pomelo essential oils.
• When the research team treated pomelo essential oil with both oxygen and heat, it exhibited significant changes in both aroma and volatile composition compared with those of the fresh, the nitrogen-protected, the heated, and the oxygen-exposed pomelo essential oils.
• The pomelo essential oil co-treated with oxygen and heat exhibited strong sweet and floral aromas, which were attributed to its high content of limonene oxides.
• It also exhibited a strong minty aroma due to the increase of L-carvone.
• These results suggested that limonene oxides and L-carvone could significantly change the scent of pomelo essential oil exposed to both oxygen and heat.

The research team concluded that their findings provide valuable information for the production and storage of aromatic products of pomelo essential oil.

Journal Reference:

Sun H, Ni H, Chen F, Jiang Z, Huang G, Yang Y. EFFECT OF OXYGEN AND HEATING ON AROMAS OF PUMMELO (CITRUS MAXIMA) ESSENTIAL OIL. Journal of Essential Oil Research. 11 January 2018; 30(2): 92-104. DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2017.1420553