Volatiles of the Exotic Colombian Fruit Borojó (Alibertia patinoi Cuatrecasas) (Rubiaceae) at Different Ripening Stages

Abstract

The volatile constituents of the exotic Colombian fruit Borojó (Alibertia patinoi Cuatrecasas Delprete & C.H.Perss) were studied using a static headspace (SHS/GC–MS) and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS–SPME/GC–MS) with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. More than 35 compounds, including esters, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids, were tentatively characterized by comparison of their mass spectra and linear retention index with those reported on the NIST Mass Spectral Libraries and the literature. The HS-SPME allowed the detection of a greater number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with a wide range of polarity. The overripe fruit of Borojó exhibited a high amount of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), with methyl hexanoate and methyl octanoate as main components. Alcohols and aldehydes were the most abundant VOCs in underripe and unripe fruits, respectively. By employing the relative odor activity values (ROAV ≥ 0.1), a comprehensive analysis identified 12 key aroma active compounds that contribute to the overall flavor profile of Borojó. This study provides a practical method for the analysis of VOCs from the Borojó fruit using HS-SPME/GC–MS, and information about the VOC composition and key aroma active compounds at different ripening stages.