Abstract
The aroma characteristics of roasted sesame oil prepared by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SCE) were examined by a GC analysis of the volatile head-space gases, and by sensory tests on the SCE extracts, the expelled extract (EE) and ground seeds (GS) of roasted black sesame. The GC analysis showed that the contents of such highly volatile compounds as methanthiol, acetaldehyde and methanol were reduced to below a half by the extraction process. The SCE extracts had similar aroma components to thouse of GS. The earliest SCE fraction contained twice the content of aroma compounds as that in EE, and four times that in GS. EE had different aroma components from those of the other samples, containing more pyrazines, furans and pyrrole. The sensory tests showed no significant difference in the aroma of the SCE fractions from thouse in GS, and a preferable and stronger sesame-like aroma to that of EE. These results indicate that the SCE method is effective for extracting sesame seed oil with the characteristic aroma of roasted sesame seeds.
