Citrus fruits are produced and used as in natura or juices in large scale around the World. These fruits are of great interest as raw materials for pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries due to their aromatic properties [1]. Residues of the production of citrus juice, such as peels, membranes, and seeds, possess a large variety of phytochemicals [2]. In this study, it was aimed to prepare whole fruits powders of kumquat, limequat (a biogeneric hybrid) and mexican lime excluding the seeds. The volatile compound profiles were determined by two methods and also the effect of the heat treatment on was evaluated. Mature fruits were harvested from Subtropical Fruits Research and Experimental Center at Çukurova University, Adana in December 2017. The sliced mature and fresh fruits were freeze-dried. For the heat treatment, the sliced mature fruits were subjected to hot air drying in an oven at 130ᵒC for 30 min. The obtained dried sliced fruits were then freeze-dried. Then, each sample was pulverized in a blender and passed through a 100 µ sieve to obtain powders. To trap volatile compounds in the each sample, Headspace-SPME technique was employed. The manual SPME device with a fiber precoated of a 65 μm thick layer of PDMS/DVB-blue was used. The extraction conditions at 40°C for 15 min. The fiber was then inserted immediately into the injection port of the GC-MS for desorption of the adsorbed volatile compounds. Each sample was also subjected to microdistillation. The volatile compounds were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS, simultaneously. Limonene was found to be major in all samples. The effects of drying on the compositions were discussed.
[1] Simas DLR, Amorim SHBM, Goulart FRV, Alviano CS, Alviano DS, Silva AJR. Ind Crop Prod 2017; 98: 108-115.
[2] Lin C-C, Hung P-F, Ho S-C. Food Chem 2008; 109: 95-103.