Volatile Compounds and Sensory Properties in Various Melons, Which were Chosen from Different Species and Different Locations, Grown in Turkey

Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry using a static head space technique was applied to analyze the volatile aromatic compounds of various melons collected from different locations in Turkey. Some physicochemical and sensory analyses were also made. A total of 33 volatile compounds were identified. Differences in the physicochemical and sensory properties of various Turkish melon samples were observed. The multivariate analyses by the volatile compounds separated the three varieties into groups successfully. The most abundant volatile compounds as mean value in all melon varieties were ethyl acetate (22.10%), acetaldehyde (13.65%), and ethanol (23.25%). The results showed that Cantaloupe melons were more preferred by panelists, which had relatively high levels of esters being responsible for strong fruit flavor, like melon, as well as high total soluble solid content and low titratable acidity compared with Inodorus and Simama.