Impact of Destroying the Structure of Model Gels on Volatile Release

International audience; The release of a strawberry aroma from different composite gels taken as models of fruit preparations and from a sucrose solution was investigated. The composition of the model systems differed with regard to the gelling agent, either pectin or carrageenan, and to the rigidity of the gel. With the use of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization−mass spectrometry, the release profiles of the aroma compounds were determined under stirring. At the same time, purge and trap measurements were performed to determine the release profiles of the aroma compounds without stirring. The comparison of the patterns obtained using these two complementary methods made it possible to…

Salt and Aroma Compound Distributions Influence Flavour Release and Temporal Perception While Eating Hot-Served Flans.

International audience; To counteract the negative effect of salt overconsumption on health, strategies have been developed to reduce the salt content in food products. Among them, two promising strategies based on odour-induced saltiness enhancement and the heterogeneous distribution of flavour compounds were combined and assessed in four-layer cream-based snacks. To investigate the relationship between saltiness enhancement, temporal release and perception of flavour compounds in hot snacks with heterogeneous distribution of salt and aroma compounds, complementary techniques were used: nose space PTR-Tof-MS (Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight–Mass Spectrometry) to assess the release …

Chemical and behavioural characterization of the rabbit mammary pheromone.

Mammals owe part of their evolutionary success to the harmonious exchanges of information, energy and immunity between females and their offspring. This functional reciprocity is vital for the survival and normal development of infants, and for the inclusive fitness of parents. It is best seen in the intense exchanges taking place around the mother's offering of, and the infant's quest for, milk. All mammalian females have evolved behavioural and sensory methods of stimulating and guiding their inexperienced newborns to their mammae, whereas newborns have coevolved means to respond to them efficiently. Among these cues, maternal odours have repeatedly been shown to be involved, but the chem…

Libération du sodium et des composés d'arôme dans des modèles fromagers aromatisés : influence de la structure et de la composition

Authorities have called for salt content to be reduced in various food products. Cheese appears to be one of the most targeted products. In order to understand how to reduce salt content in model cheeses without modifying salty perception, the interactions between in-mouth sodium release and cheese composition and structure have to be studied. . The current study was conducted to determine how the release of aroma compounds and sodium ions could be modified by the structure and the composition of model cheese (lipid/protein ratio, sodium content ...). This will be done by in vivo and in vitro approaches. 23Na Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to study the mobility and t…

Heat treatment of vegetable oils. II. GC-MS and GC-FTIR spectra of some isolated cyclic fatty acid monomers

Gas liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed that the cyclic fatty acid monomers (CFAM) isolated from a heated linseed oil have two ethylenic bonds, while the CFAM isolated from heated sunflower oils were saturated and monoethylenic isomers. GC-MS studies also showed the presence of cyclohexenic derivatives in the case of linseed oil.

Representativeness of Extracts of Offset Paper Packaging and Analysis of the Main Odor-Active Compounds

Packagings often carry odors due to the support and printing inks. The aim of the investigation was to define a representative solvent-free extract of paper-based packaging materials printed by the offset process, for the identification of the odor-causing volatile compounds. Static headspace and solid-phase microextraction were the two applied extraction methods. Representativeness tests showed that the odor of the PDMS fiber extract gave satisfying odor similarities with the original packaging. The sample incubation was performed at 40 degrees C for 30 min, whereas the extraction time was 3 min at 40 degrees C. Extracts of both the nonprinted and printed papers of different batches were a…

Sex-pairing pheromones and reproductive isolation in three sympatric Cornitermes species (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae)

International audience; The species-specificity of pairing has been studied in three sympatric Neotropical termites: Cornitermes bequaerti, Cornitermes cumulans and Cornitermes silvestrii (Termitidae, Syntermitinae). Bioassays showed that sex attraction was highly species-specific between C. bequaerti and C cumulans but not between C. cumulans and C. silvestrii. The sex-pairing pheromone of the three species is secreted by the tergal glands of female alates. It consists of a common compound (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol. In C. bequaerti, this polyunsaturated alcohol is the only compound of the sex-pairing pheromone, whereas it is associated with the oxygenated sesquiterpene (E)-nerolid…

NMR structure determination of (11E)-trinervita-1(14),2,11-triene, a new diterpene from sexual glands of termites

Graphical Abstract Full-size image; International audience; Female alates of Nasutitermes ephratae termites from Guadeloupe and Nasutitermes sp. from Brazil produce a diterpene hydrocarbon of the molecular formula C20H30 as the main component of their tergal gland secretion. Analysis of NMR, IR, and mass spectra of the diterpene led to a structure of (11E)-trinervita-1(14),2,11-triene. Based on a comparison with the published oxygenated trinervitane skeleton from termites we prefer the enantiomer with absolute configurations (4R,7S,8R,15S,16S). The suggested structure is supported by ab initio quantum chemical calculation of 1H and 13C chemical shifts for the optimized geometry of the molec…

Isolation of a novel linalool disaccharide glycoside from Raspberry fruit

Abstract A new linalool disaccharide glycoside ( 1a ) was isolated from raspberry fruit ( Rubus idaeus , cv. Heritage) and characterized as S-(+)-linalool 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside by means of spectroscopic studies.

Salt and fat contents influence the microstructure of model cheeses, chewing/swallowing andin vivoaroma release

The effects of the lipid/protein ratio (20/28, 24/24, 28/20) and salt content of model cheeses were investigated simultaneously with respect to chewing behaviour, swallowing events and in vivo aroma release. Chewing parameters were measured by electromyography. Swallowing events were recorded manually. In vivo aroma release was investigated using nose-space on-line atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-mass spectrometry. The values for chewing activity and time before swallowing were higher with lower lipid/protein ratios and lower salt contents, due to the greater mechanical resistance of the model cheeses. The corresponding microstructure was made up of smaller and more circular fat dr…

Combined effect of cheese characteristics and food oral processing onin vivoaroma release

The aim of this work was to clarify the influence of the properties (firmness and fat content) of a solid processed model cheese on in vivo aroma release while considering the role of the in-mouth process during both mastication and post-swallowing steps, and the hydrophobicity of aroma compounds, on a large number of well characterized subjects. In vivo aroma release was studied on 44 subjects who freely consumed six processed model cheeses flavoured with the same concentration of nonan-2-one and ethyl propanoate. Globally, an increase in firmness induced an increase in chewing duration, amount of saliva incorporated into the food bolus, total amount of aroma released and rate of release. …

L1: Oral processing behaviours and retronasal aroma release variability during cheese consumption in human

Abstract of oral presentation

From human to artificial mouth, from basics to results

Papier publié également dans : Proceedings en ligne de American Institute of Physics http://proceedings.aip.org/dbt/dbt.jsp?KEY=APCPCS&Volume=1137&Issue=1 (RN 2508; Sensory perception of the flavor release during the eating of a food piece is highly dependent upon mouth parameters. Major limitations have been reported during in vivo flavor release studies, such as marked intra- and inter-individual variability. To overcome these limitations, a chewing simulator has been developed to mimic the human mastication of food samples. The device faithfully reproduces most of the functions of the human mouth. The active cell comprises several mobile parts that can accurately reproduce shear and comp…

Competitive Binding of Aroma Compounds by β-Cyclodextrin

Retention of six aroma compounds has been studied after dehydration of ternary mixtures of aroma water and beta-cyclodextrin. A maximal retention of a mole of aroma per mole of beta-cyclodextrin has been observed for five of the aroma compounds, whereas retention of benzyl alcohol can be twice as high. Retention of a mixture of aroma compounds has also been studied. It has been noted that when volatile compounds compete for the same binding sites on beta-cyclodextrin, ethyl hexanoate, 2-methylbutyric acid, and benzyl alcohol are, respectively, better retained than ethyl propionate, hexanoic acid, and hexanol. Preferential retention observed with esters can be simply explained by their diffe…

A study on texture-taste-aroma interactions: physico-chemical and cognitive mechanisms

International audience; Texture–taste, texture–aroma and aroma–taste interactions were examined in custard desserts varying in viscosity (at identical composition), sucrose level and aroma nature. All reciprocal interactions were investigated, with each binary interaction addressed through an independent sensory study. Rheological, in vivo aroma release and sucrose release measurements were run in parallel to control for a possible physico-chemical origin of these interactions. Observed interactions were found to be dependent upon the nature of the sensory modalities involved; physico-chemical mechanisms could only in some instances entirely explain these interactions. Taste and aroma did n…

Sex pheromones and trail-following pheromone in the basal termites Zootermopsis nevadensis (Hagen) and Z. angusticollis (Hagen) (Isoptera: Termopsidae: Termopsinae)

In the context of an evolutionary study of the chemical communication in termites, sex pheromones and trail-following pheromones were investigated in two Termopsidae, Zootermopsis nevadensis and Z. angusticollis. In these species, in which the presence of sex-specific pheromones has been demonstrated previously, the chemical structure of the female sex pheromone has now been identified as (5E)-2,6,10-trimethylundeca-5,9-dienal and the male sex pheromone as (+)- or (-)-syn-4,6-dimethyldodecanal. The amount of sex pheromone was estimated at 5-10 ng per individual in females and 2-5 ng in males. Because these two sympatric species do not differ in their pheromonal chemical composition, reprodu…

Dark chocolates organoleptic differences: a PTR-ToF-MS success story

International audience; Aroma of dark chocolate depends on process and cocoa origin and variety. Repeated sensory analyses of standardized chocolates produced from various cocoa beans batches using a standard fabrication process allowed classifying them into four sensory categories. These categories were confirmed in a PTR-ToF-MS analysis of the volatilome of 206 chocolate samples through supervised multivariate data analyses (PLS-DA). Variable selection using dedicated methods pinpointed some volatile compounds important for the discrimination of the chocolates. Moreover, the nosespace of a subset of chocolates was measured by twelve assessors using PTR-ToF-MS with simultaneous determinati…

Inter-individual variability in aroma release during sweet mint consumption

Inter-individual variations of in vivo aroma release kinetics have been observed widely in the literature. However, the corresponding causes are yet to be clearly identified. For this purpose, 68 subjects in whom salivary flow rates (at rest and Parafilm™-stimulated) had been determined were recruited for the study. The release of menthone was measured using atmospheric pressure ionisation–mass spectrometry during the consumption of a sweet mint tablet. The subjects complied with an imposed protocol of oral movements. Inter-individual variability was investigated through a qualitative analysis of the oral movements inducing menthone release, and through quantitative analysis. Swallowing eve…

The Dynamics of Aroma Release during the Consumption of Candies with Different Structures

This chapter aims at investigating the role of candy texture on the dynamics of aroma release using dynamic instrumental and sensory methods. The highest in vivo release, monitored using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), was obtained for the 2% gelatin sample for all aroma compounds. The temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) method highlighted that the dominant sensation for the liquid product was the “strawberry” note. For other products, the temporal characteristics of perceptions were more complex. Data highlighted that aroma release resulted from interaction between product properties and oral behavior. Some relations with the dynamics of perception have been establi…

Effect of Oral Physiology Parameters on In-Mouth Aroma Compound Release Using Lipoprotein Matrices: An In Vitro Approach

Temporal aroma compound release during eating is a function of the physicochemical properties of the food matrix, aroma compounds, and oral physiology of individuals. However, the influence of each parameter on the release of each aroma component should be clarified. Two flavored lipoprotein matrices varying in composition were chewed in a chewing simulator that reproduced most of the physiological functions of the mouth. Aroma compound releases (butanoic acid, 2-heptanone, ethyl butyrate, 3-octanone, and 2-nonanone) were followed in real time by direct connection of the device to APCI-MS (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry). Each oral parameter was controlled and de…

Comparison of direct mass spectrometry methods for the on-line analysis of volatile compounds in foods

For the on-line monitoring of flavour compound release, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and proton transfer reaction (PTR) combined to mass spectrometry (MS) are the most often used ionization technologies. APCI-MS was questioned for the quantification of volatiles in complex mixtures, but direct comparisons of APCI and PTR techniques applied on the same samples remain scarce. The aim of this work was to compare the potentialities of both techniques for the study of in vitro and in vivo flavour release. Aroma release from flavoured aqueous solutions (in vitro measurements in Teflon bags and glass vials) or flavoured candies (in vivo measurements on six panellists) was studie…

Aroma volatile metabolites at olfactory mucosa level evidenced by in vitro PTR-Tof-MS studies

International audience; Olfactory mucosa can metabolize odorants through various enzymatic mechanisms participating in their clearance and therefore in the termination of the olfactory signal. Preliminary ex-vivo studies using headspace-GC revealed the formation of volatile metabolites when odorant molecules were injected above a fresh explant of rat olfactory mucosa. However, this method did not allow accessing the data during the first five minutes of contact between the odorant and the mucosa, thus limiting the olfactory biological significance. Using a direct-injection mass spectrometry technique (PTR-MS) we have been able for the first time to investigate the first moments of the enzym…

Wine matrix composition affects temporal aroma release as measured by proton transfer reaction - time-of-flight - mass spectrometry

This work was funded by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (AGL2012-04172-C02-01), and Consolider Ingenio 2010 (Fun-C-Food, CSD2007-063, Projects). Dr Carolina Munoz-Gonzalez thanks Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas for its research contract co-funded by the European Social Fund together with Regional Council for Burgundy and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (European Union) for experiments undertaken in Dijon, France.

PTR-SRI-ToF-MS analysis of aroma compounds: influence of drift tube E/N ratio on sensitivity and fragmentattion

Livre ISBN-13 : 978-3-902811-91-2; International audience; The aim of this work was to compare detection and fragmentation patterns of aroma compounds obtained with three different precursor ions and several E/N source parameter values with the proton transfer reaction (PTR-MS) methodology. The reactant ions H3O+, NO+ and O2+. were generated in a Switchable Reagent Ions (SRI) source of a PTR-ToF-MS (Ionicon 8000, Innsbruck, Austria). Precursor ions plasmas were characterized at different E/N ratio in the drift tube. For proton transfer reaction, the hydronium primary ion was the most abundant ion (> 80%) for all E/N ratios above 120 Td, but the sensitivity decreased quickly with the highest…

In-mouth mechanisms leading to flavor release and perception.

Review; International audience; During eating, foods are submitted to two main oral processeschewing, including biting and crushing with teeth, and progressive impregnation by saliva resulting in the formation of a cohesive bolus and swallowing of the bolus. Texture influences the chewing behavior, including mastication and salivation, and in turn, these parameters influence texture perception and bolus formation. During this complex mouth process, flavor compounds are progressively released from the food matrix. This phenomenon is mainly dependent on the food texture, the composition and in-mouth breakdown, and on saliva impregnation and activity, but an individual's anatomical and physiol…

The defensive secretion of Eurycotis floridana (Dictyoptera, Blattidae, Polyzosteriinae): chemical identification and evidence of an alarm function

0965-1748 doi: DOI: 10.1016/S0965-1748(97)00033-7; The defensive secretion of the cockroach Eurycotis floridana was believed to contain only (E)-2-hexenal. However, we have shown it consists of 40 components, of which 30 were tentatively identified. (E)-2-Hexenal, (E)-2-hexenol and (E)-2-hexenoic acid represented approximately 98% of the organic phase. The other 2% included 10 aldehydes, 10 alcohols, four acids, two lactones and one ether. Four compounds are novel insect exudates: 3-ethoxyhexanal, 3-hydroxyhexanal, [(E)-1-pentenyl]-4-propyl-1,3-dioxane and 3-[(E)-2-hexenoxyl-hexanal. In addition to its well-known allomonal function, we have demonstrated that the defensive secretion also act…

A detailed identification study on high-temperature degradation products of oleic and linoleic acid methyl esters by GC–MS and GC–FTIR

GC-MS and GC-FTIR were complementarily applied to identify oxidation compounds formed under frying conditions in methyl oleate and linoleate heated at 180ºC. The study was focused on the compounds that originated through hydroperoxide scission that remain attached to the glyceridic backbone in fats and oils and form part of non-volatile molecules. Twenty one short-chain esterified compounds, consisting of 8 aldehydes, 3 methyl ketones, 4 primary alcohols, 5 alkanes and 1 furan, were identified. In addition, twenty non-esterified volatile compounds, consisting of alcohols, aldehydes and acids, were also identified as major non-esterified components. Furanoid compounds of 18 carbon atoms form…

4-Hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone and 4-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, Two Components of the Male Sex Pheromone ofEurycotis floridana(Walker) (Insecta, Blattidae, Polyzosteriinae)

In Eurycotis floridana, male calling behavior is associated with the sex pheromone released by the anterior part of tergites. 2, 7, and 8. Glandular extracts of tergite 7 revealed a characteristic odor of caramel which is attractive at a distance for the females. We identified the two compounds responsible for this odor, 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone. These compounds are known to be very important as flavor components of foods, but this is the first time that they have been. identified as natural insect products. Various amounts of the identified compounds were tested, and their biological function is discussed.

The dynamics of aroma release during consumption of candies of different structures, and relationship with temporal perception

 ; We investigated the role of both candy texture and eating technique (melting or chewing) on the dynamics of aroma release. One novelty of this type of analysis was the simultaneous application of instrumental and sensory analysis. Four candy textures were established based on their storage modulus at 1 Hz by varying the gelatine content between 0 and 15% w/w. The in vivo release of three aroma compounds was monitored using Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry and with a trained panel of testers. The gelatine content had no significant effect on the headspace/product partition and diffusion properties of the aroma compounds. The highest in vivo release for all aroma compounds was ob…

A new C12 alcohol identified as a sex pheromone and a trail-following pheromone in termites: the diene (Z,Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol

0028-1042 (Print) Journal Article; The diunsaturated C12 alcohol (Z,Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol (dodecadienol) has been characterized by GC-MS and FTIR as a novel releaser pheromone in termites. This alcohol identified in Ancistrotermes pakistanicus (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) possesses a double pheromonal function which again illustrates the chemical parsimony of termites compared with other social insects. In workers, dodecadienol elicits trail-following at a very low concentration (activity threshold at 0.1 pg/cm of trail); in male alates it induces trail-following at a low concentration (1-10 pg/cm) and sexual attraction at a higher concentration (about 1 ng). Traces of the monounsaturate…

Species specificity of trail pheromones of fungus-growing termites from northern Vietnam

Trail-following pheromones were studied in four fungus-growing termites from northern Vietnam: Macrotermes annandalei, M. barneyi, Odontotermes hainanensis and O. maesodensis. From bioassays, we suggest that trail pheromones of these species are composed of a common or anony-mous signal, as well as species-specific signals. The anonymous signal has been identified by GC-MS as (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol for each species from extracts of sternal glands and from solid phase microextraction of the surface of their sternal gland. This compound is secreted in much higher quantities (up to 1.4 ng/worker) than dodecatrienol, another anonymous signal of trail-following in termites. (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol is a…

Dynamics of Aroma Release during Cheese Consumption

The influence of satiation before and after a pasta meal was studied through the evaluation of aroma release and chewing activity during the consumption of a flavored model cheese. Aroma release during cheese consumption was found to be higher after satiation than before. The difference can be explained by an increase in the duration of the chewing sequence and an increase in the chewing muscular work after satiation. However, the pulmonary flow was not affected by satiation.

Libération des composés d'arôme en bouche lors de la consommation d'un aliment solide : modélisation des transferts et validation expérimentale

In-mouth aroma compound release during cheese consumption: Relationship with food bolus formation

International audience; The present study describes the changes in mechanical properties and saliva incorporation for cheese samples with different composition and texture, and their influence on the rate of aroma release. Chewing work per cycle, salivary flow rate and chewing rate varied highly among subjects. Despite the differences in cheese hardness, at the end of mastication, bolus texture was the same for cheeses with the same lipid content. Low-fat cheeses gave harder bolus than high fat ones, despite being chewed longer, with higher work per cycle and more moisture. Salivary flow rate did not vary among cheese samples but, at the end of mastication, the amount of saliva in boluses d…

Relationships between oral characteristics, bolus formation and aroma compound releases during the consumption of fat spread in humans

Source : 13th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium - Zaragoza, Spain - September 27th – 30th, 201; International audience; The release and perception of flavour compounds is an important factor for the acceptance of a food product. It is a complex echanism that depends not only on the food’s chemical composition and structure, but also on in-mouth mechanisms involved in its breakdown. To date, most of the studies have been focused on hard or semi-hard product such as cheese for instance (1, 2). Among the works published on dairy product, fat spreads were not considered while they represent an important market. However these products are particularly interesting by their structure and composit…

Identification of the Trail-Following Pheromone of the Pest Termite Amitermes evuncifer (Isoptera : Termitidae)

International audience; Amitermes evuncifer (Termitidae, Termitinae) is a pest termite in several countries of Africa, damaging crops and buildings. The trail-following pheromone of this termite was isolated from worker sternal glands and identified by GC-MS after solid phase microextraction (SPME). The pheromone is composed of (3Z,67,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol (dodecatrienol) and neocembrene acting in synergy, neocembrene being 5-10 times more abundant than dodecatrienol. Dodecatrienol alone is able to elicit trail-following in workers, whereas neocembrene alone is inactive. However, the association of both components induces a significantly higher trail-following activity. Multicomponent…

(Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol, a novel termite trail pheromone identified after solid phase microextraction from Macrotermes annandalei

0022-1910 (Print) Journal Article; (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol was isolated and identified by GC-MS as the major component of the trail-following pheromone from whole body and sternal gland extracts of workers of the fungus-growing termite, Macrotermes annandalei (Silvestri) (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae). For the first time, this trail pheromone was also identified by using solid phase microextraction from the surface of the secretory sternal gland of workers. Bioassays showed that synthetic dodecenol induced both orientation and recruitment behavioral effects. The activity threshold of (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol in eliciting trail-following is similar to that of (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol in the …

Sensory, in vitro, in vivo and modeling approaches to understand salt release and perception in mouth: toward tools to design palatable and healthy foods (communication orale)

International audience; no abstract

An atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-ion-trap mass spectrometer for the on-line analysis of volatile compounds in foods: a tool for linking aroma release to aroma perception

An atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion-trap mass spectrometer was set up for the on-line analysis of aroma compounds. This instrument, which has been successfully employed for some years in several in vitro and in vivo flavour release studies, is described for the first time in detail. The ion source was fashioned from polyether ether ketone and operated at ambient pressure and temperature making use of a discharge corona pin facing coaxially the capillary ion entrance of the ion-trap mass spectrometer. Linear dynamic ranges (LDR), limits of detection (LOD) and other analytical characteristics have been re-evaluated. LDRs and LODs have been found fully compatible with the concentra…

Burial behaviour by dealates of the termite Pseudacanthotermes spiniger (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) induced by chemical signals from termite corpses

In order to maintain healthy colonies, termite workers dispose of the cadavers of dead nest mates by cannibalism, burial, or necrophoresis. However, when multiple reproductives found a new colony by pleometrosis, there are no worker castes at the early stages of the foundation to eliminate or isolate the corpses. In this study, we showed that in young pleometrotic colonies, reproductives of Pseudacanthotermes spiniger had the ability to perform this task. Because of the claustral conditions, and the potential inability of the dealates to feed on their own, their behaviour was restricted to the burial of the cadaver within the initial chamber. This burial behaviour, previously not reported i…

Trail-following pheromones in basal termites, with special reference to Mastotermes darwiniensis

0098-0331 (Print) Journal Article; In the framework of an evolutionary study, trail pheromones have been studied in the most basal extant termite, Mastotermes darwiniensis (Mastotermitidae), and two other basal termites, the Termopsidae Porotermes adamsoni (Porotermitinae) and Stolotermes victoriensis (Stolotermitinae). Although workers of M. darwiniensis do not walk in single file while exploring a new environment under experimental conditions and are unable to follow artificial trails in 'open field' experiments, they do secrete a trail-following pheromone from their sternal glands. This unique behavior might reflect a primitive function of communication of the sternal gland. The major co…

Aroma release and chewing activity during eating different model cheeses

International audience; This study focused on the effect cheese properties had on chewing behaviour and aroma release as well as the relationship between them. Chewing activity and the kinetics of aroma release were simultaneously monitored during the consumption of eight model cheeses with the same flavour content. Differences in chewing behaviour explained most of the variability in aroma release among subjects. Aroma release increased with chewing work, bursts’ number and amplitude. For cheese samples, the chewing behaviour varied according to texture. Interaction between cheese composition and the chewing behaviour effects affected aroma release: (i) decreasing fat content increased aro…

Volatile components of dry-cured ham

The volatile components of dry-cured ham were isolated by vacuum distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The structures of 76 molecules were identified by mass spectrometry, cochromatography, or measured Kovats indices. The compounds identified may come from the catabolism of the main constituent parts of the meat (glucids, lipids and protids) during the curing of the hams, from the pig feed, or from technological processes. The volatile compounds extracted from 50 g of ham according to the technique described correspond to a chromatographical surface equivalent to 0.12 mg of the dodecane internal standard, or approximately 2.4 ppm of the weight of the sample. Fla…

Identification of multi-component trail pheromones in the most evolutionarily derived termites, the Nasutitermitinae (Termitidae)

In the present study, trail pheromone blends are identified for the first time in termites. In the phylogenetically complex Nasutitermitinae, trail-following pheromones are composed of dodecatrienol and neocembrene, the proportions of which vary according to species, although neocembrene is always more abundant than dodecatrienol (by 25–250-fold). Depending on species, termites were more sensitive to dodecatrienol or to neocembrene but the association of both components always elicited significantly higher trail following, with a clear synergistic effect in most of the studied species. A third component, trinervitatriene, was identified in the sternal gland secretion of several species, but…

Gas chromatography-fourier transform infrared spectrometry of fatty acids: New Applications with a direct deposition interface

Infrared spectroscopy is a suitable spectroscopic method to differentiate geometric Z and E isomers of unsaturated compounds. A direct-deposition Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), coupled to a gas chromatograph, was used successfully to analyze with a high sensitivity traces of C18:1 fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) isomers. It could also conclusively distinguish between isomers of conjugated diunsaturated FAME. The achievable sensitivity of this direct-deposition device makes possible accurate FAME mixture analyses that are not currently attainable with the more conventional light-pipe interface.

Optimization of the ion plasma formation in a switchable reagent Ions (SRI) proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry system

Production of halogenated compounds by Bjerkandera adusta.

International audience; The white-rot fungusBjerkandera adusta produces volatile chlorinated phenyl compounds. The main compounds identified were 3-chloro-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (3-chloro-p-anisaldehyde), 3-chloro-4-methoxybenzyl alcohol (3-chloro-p-anisyl alcohol), 3,5-dichloro-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (3,5-dichloro-p-anisaldehyde), and 3,5-dichloro, 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol (3,5-dichloro-p-anisyl alcohol).p-Anisaldehyde, veratraldehyde and the corresponding alcohols,p-anisyl alcohol and veratryl alcohol were produced simultaneously. Even with a very low concentration of chloride in the medium (<>–5 m), chlorinated aromatic compounds were still observed. Addition of bromide to the culture mediu…

Oxyphytosterols are present in plasma of healthy human subjects

The oxidised derivatives of phytosterols (oxyphytosterols) were identified in plasma samples from thirteen healthy human volunteers, using MS. All the samples contained noticeable quantities of (24R)-5b,6b-epoxy-24-ethylcholestan-3b-ol (b-epoxysitostanol) and (24R)-ethylcholestan-3b,5a,6b-triol (sitostanetriol) and also trace levels of (24R)-5a,6a-epoxy-24-ethylcholestan-3b-ol (a-epoxysitostanol), (24R)-methylcholestan-3b,5a,6b-triol (campestanetriol) and (24R)-ethylch olest-5-en-3b-ol-7-one(7-ketositosterol). The amounts of these oxyphytosterols in plasma varied from 4·8 to 57·2 ng/ml. There are two possibilities concerning the origin of these compounds. First, they could come from the sma…

Influence of composition(CO2 and Sugar) on aroma release and perception of mint-flavored carbonated beverages

The aim of the present work was to identify and quantify physical mechanisms responsible for in-nose aroma release during the consumption of mint-flavored carbonated beverages in order to better understand how they are perceived. The effect of two composition factors (sugar and CO(2)) was investigated on both the sensory and physicochemical properties of drinks by studying in vitro and in vivo aroma release. Sensory results revealed that the presence of CO(2) increased aroma perception regardless of the sugar content. In agreement with volatility parameters, in vivo measurements showed that carbonated drinks released a greater quantity of aroma compounds in the nose space than non-carbonate…

Sex pheromone identified after solid phase microextraction from tergal glands of female alates in Cornitermes bequaerti (Isoptera, Nasutitermitinae)

For the first time, a termite sex pheromone secreted by tergal glands has been isolated and identified. In the mandibulate nasute termite Cornitermes bequaerti, pairing of swarming imagoes is mediated by a sex pheromone secreted by females from their tergal glands. These well developed sexual glands located in front of tergites 8, 9, 10 are essentially composed of class 1 and 2 cells, but also of some glandular units of class 3 cells. The major volatile compound of tergal secretion was isolated by solid phase microextraction (SPME) and identified by GC-MS as (3Z, 6Z, 8E)-dodecatrien-1-ol. Sex attraction bioassays with synthetic (3Z, 6Z, 8E)-dodecatrien-1-ol showed that this alcohol was the …