Free and Glycosidically Bound Volatile Compounds in Okinawan Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Fruit plants produce various volatile compounds that emit distinct aroma characteristics and contribute to their flavor qualities. However, some of these substances, especially hydroxyl-group molecules, are in non-volatile glycosylated forms. This study aimed to determine free and glycosidically bound volatile compounds in three Okinawan pineapple cultivars (‘N67-10′, ‘Yugafu’, and ‘Yonekura’). The free volatile components of squashed pineapple juice were analyzed using solid-phase microextraction (SPME)–arrow-gas chromatography–flame ionization detection/mass spectrometry (GC-FID/MS). The glycosides were collected through solid-phase extraction, hydrolyzed by β-glucosidase, and the released volatile compounds were measured. The sugar moieties of the glycosides were confirmed using GC-MS, and their glycoside constituents were analyzed using liquid chromatography (LC)-MS. Okinawan pineapple varied in its content and composition of free volatile components, which were predominantly comprised of esters, followed by alcohols, terpenes, and ketones. Eight hydroxyl-group compounds, including chavicol, eugenol, geraniol, phenylethyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 1-hexanol, and 3-methyl-2-butenol, were released from their glycosylated forms via enzymatic hydrolysis, wherein the amounts of most of them were greater in ‘Yonekura’ than in the other cultivars. Moreover, two glycosides, chavicol-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and eugenol-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, were identified in all the cultivars, wherein the aglycones of both glycosides could be potential odor sources of the medicinal-herbal aromas. These results provide important information regarding both volatile-aroma qualities and bounded-aroma resources in Okinawan pineapple for fresh consumption and agroindustrial processing.