Aroma Compounds Contributing to the Milky-sweet Aroma of Japanese Pear

Abstract

A sensory analysis of 10 Japanese pear cultivars conducted by trained panelists revealed that the cultivar ‘Hatsumaru’ exhibited and candy made from it. Subsequently, the correlation between this aroma and the juices obtained from the same pears was examined. The strongest correlation was observed between the milky aroma and γ-decalactone. When gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) was performed with stepwise dilutions of the aroma concentrates obtained from the juice mixtures of 3 cultivars exhibiting the milky aroma, γ-decalactone was the only component detected at a 64-fold dilution by all four GC-O panel members, with its odor described as milky and peachy. ‘Shurei’-like aroma was also perceived by a pear breeder, a member of the GC-O panels. These findings indicate that γ-decalactone is the primary contributor to the milky aroma of ‘Shurei’ × ‘Kanta’ progenies. In addition, the pear breeder also perceived the ‘Shurei’ aroma in decanoic acid, suggesting that a combination or interaction between γ-decalactone and decanoic acid may contribute to the milky aroma of ‘Shurei’ progenies. The milky aroma component may have been inherited from ‘Chikusui’, the progenitor of ‘Shurei’.