Characteristic Volatile Components of Trifoliate Orange Peel (Poncirus trifoliata)

The volatile components of the peel of trifoliate orange {Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.}, family Rutaceae, were investigated using SAFE technique after solvent extraction. Limonene was the most abundant component in the peel aroma extract, followed by myrcene, trans-β-ocimene, indole, β-caryophyllene, (3E,6E)-α-farnesene, germacrene D, and β-phellandrene. In this study, the single sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compound, 4-methyl-5-vinylthiazole, and two macrocyclic lactones, cyclododecanolide and (7Z,10Z,13Z)-hexadecatrien-16-olide, were identified as citrus aroma components for the first time. As a result of AEDA for the polar fraction of the aroma extract, indole, ethyl octanoate and those macrocyclic lactones with musky notes were found to be responsible for the characteristic aroma profile of the peel of trifoliate orange. The enantiomeric distributions of the four odor-active components, linalool, β-citronellol, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, and 2-methylbutanoic acid, were also determined by means of multidimensional chiral GC/MS.