Volatile constituents of palm wine and palm sap

Palm wine and pasteurized palm sap volatiles were collected, concentrated on a Tenax GC and analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Eighty-two components were identified: 47 esters, 9 alcohols, 5 acids, 6 carbonyls, 2 acetals, 4 terpenes and 9 hydrocarbons. These had all been found previously in conventional wines. Odor evaluation of the separated palm wine components as they eluted suggested that no one compound is responsible for the characteristic palm wine odor. The acetates of higher alcohols and the ethyl esters of straight-chain aliphatic C(6)-C(10) acids seemed to be important and may play a big role in imparting the fruity nuances of characteristic palm wine odor. Their association with alcohols seemed also to be necessary for the expression of typical palm wine odor. The qualitative difference between palm sap aroma and palm wine aroma appeared to be due mainly to the presence of these esters and alcohols in palm wine and their apparent absence from palm sap, as well as to the presence of some low-boiling esters and alcohols in palm sap and their apparent absence from palm wine.