Song, J; Chen, J; Li, D; Xiao, Y; Liu, C
The thermal behaviour of carotenoids may affect the nutritional value and flavour quality of sweet corn juice. In this study, carotenoid compositions and volatile components in simulated sweet corn juice at elevated temperatures from 100 to 130 A degrees C were identified and compared by C-30-HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS and HS-SPME-GC-MS methods. The result showed that with the increase of temperature, concentrations of total and trans carotenoids in sweet corn juice model decreased gradually, as compared with all-trans alpha-carotene and all-trans beta-carotene, oxy carotenoids (such as all-trans lutein, all-trans zeaxanthin and all-trans beta-cryptoxanthin degraded faster), especially for carotenoid epoxides (such as neoxanthin). Meanwhile, the concentration of total cis carotenoids was related with the formation of some oxidative products and volatile compounds. Levels of major volatile components derived from carotenoids in sweet corn juice model including 4-ethyltoluene, p-cymene, 2-ethyl-1, 4-dimethylbenzene, 1, 2, 3, 4-tetramethylbenzene, dodecane, BHT, 1,7-dimethyl naphthalene, hexanal, 2-nonenal, undecanal, benzaldehyde, geranyl acetone, etc. increased with temperature. Some new volatiles such as 1, 2, 4-trimethylbenzene, naphthalene, pentadecane, acetaldehyde, beta-ionone, limonene, tridecanone, etc. were also formed under higher temperatures. It is suggested that the aromatic compounds containing benzene ring and alkane are produced by degradation of carotenoids, which affect the overall flavour of sweet corn juice.