Abstract:
Multi-channel polydimethylsiloxane rubber traps were used to sample the headspace of rosemary samples (two essential oils
from different sources, one oleoresin and one dried herb) followed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography –
time of flight mass spectrometry(GCxGC-TOFMS) or GC-MS analyses. The aroma of different headspace samples was characterized
using a custom-built olfactory apparatus. The differences between the aroma profiles were evident from bubble plots of the
perceived aroma at different temperatures. The samples were heat-treated to simulate cooking of food products, and were then
reassessed to determine any changes in the aroma profile. It was found that the intense menthol and cooling aromas subsided in
all the samples with heating. GCxGC-TOFMS allowed for separation of the numerous components in the headspace samples.
Manyterpenes and aliphatics were thus tentatively identified and the relative peak areas were compared to better understand the
mixture that contributes to the rosemary aroma.
