Introduction. Detarium senegalense J.F. Gmel is a forest tree found in Senegal whose fruits are locally called ditax in Wolof. It is eaten fresh but it is widely used as nectar, which is one of the most popular beverages in Senegal. However, the chemical characterization of ditax pulp remains incomplete. This paper describes the volatile compounds of ditax to assess its organoleptic qualities. Materials and methods. Free volatile compounds of fresh ditax pulp were isolated by solvent-assisted flavor evaporation and analysis by GC-MS. Results and discussion. Among the 53 compounds tentatively identified, 49 are reported for the first time in this fruit. In total, 17 aldehydes, 11 aliphatic alcohols, 1 terpene alcohol, 7 free fatty acids, 3 unsaturated hydrocarbons, 1 terpene hydrocarbon, 7 sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, 1 phenol, 2 ketones, 2 esters and 1 organic acid compound were tentatively identified in ditax fresh pulp. The main volatiles identified in fresh ditax pulp were trans, cis-2,6-nonadienal (2.47 mg×kg–1), cis-2-heptenal (1.93 mg×kg–1), trans-a-bergamotene (1.11 mg×kg–1), bicyclo [2,2,0] hexane-1-carboxaldehyde (0.80 mg×kg–1), butyl octadecanoate (0.55 mg×kg–1) and trans-2-nonenal (0.47 mg×kg–1 fresh pulp). Conclusion. Among the volatile compounds identified, aldehyde compounds were widely predominant. To assess the aromatic qualities of ditax pulp, the primary impact aromas should be determined by identifying the aroma-active compounds by GC-olfactometry.

Introduction. Wines produced in cool climate regions may be competitive with wines obtained in traditional wine-producing countries. The aim of this paper was to conduct a quality analysis of the chemical composition of selected varieties of cool-climate grapes and to assess the enological parameters of wines obtained from them. Materials and methods. The chemical composition of 11 varieties of grapes as well as the basic enological parameters, profile of volatile components, and antioxidant and sensory properties of wines obtained from selected varieties were assessed. Results and discussion. The extract content of the assessed varieties of grapes varied within the range of 128.5–218.5 g×kg–1. The fruit was characterised by similar acidity but significantly heterogeneous antioxidant activity. The basic quality parameters of wines were in accordance with the EU regulations. Antioxidant activity and polyphenol content in red wines were approximately 5–7 times higher than those in white wines. In the sensory assessment the wines obtained high grades. Conclusion. Wines from the cool climate regions fulfil the EU normative requirements and are characterised by original sensory features. They may compete with products from traditional wine-producing countries.

Introduction. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of an electronic nose (e-nose) to predict the quality of nectarines and peaches, and, in particular, the aroma. Materials and methods. Four nectarine cultivars (‘María Dolce’, ‘Maillarlate’, ‘Nectaross’ and ‘Venus’) and one peach cultivar (‘Royal Glory’) were evaluated. The fruit was harvested ripe and the quality evaluations were carried out just one day after harvest. The intensity of the main descriptors of fruit quality was described, and fruits were subjected to an e-nose assessment. The sensory analysis and the e-nose results were presented through a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). A multiple linear regression (MLR) was also used to create a predictive model for the attribute ‘aroma’ compared with the other sensory parameters and the most informative e-nose sensor data. Results and discussion. ‘Royal Glory’ and ‘María Dolce’ were placed in a separate cluster far from ‘Venus’, ‘Nectaross’ and ‘Maillarlate’. The result of the MLR included the attributes ‘acidity’, ‘sweetness’ and ‘acceptability’ in the model, and the data registered by sensor 6 of the e-nose (SnO2-sensor, RGTO Mo, 45 Å thick layer), which were those factors that best related to the aroma, reached a R2 of 0.48 and a mean square error (MSE) of 3.85. It was concluded that the e-nose is an instrument able to discriminate peach varieties through their aromatic features, which are among the descriptors that mainly determine acceptability by the peach consumer.