Identification of character‐impact odorants in coriander and wild coriander leaves using gas chromatography‐olfactometry (GCO) and comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography–time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC–TOFMS)

Abstract The essential oil of coriander leaves ( Coriandrum sativum ) and wild coriander leaves ( Eryngium foetidum ) grown in Fiji was obtained by steam distillation. The aroma profiles were characterised using gas chromatography‐olfactometry (GCO) and CharmAnalysis TM . The character‐impact odorants were identified using comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) combined with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). During GCO analysis, the co‐elution of E ‐2‐alkenals and E ‐2‐alken‐1‐ols resulted in the perception of ‘odour‐clusters’. The most important odorants in C. sativum were found to be Z‐ 2‐decenal, a co‐eluting odour‐cluster ( E ‐2‐dodecenal, E ‐2‐dodecen‐1‐ol, and 1‐dodecanol), β‐ionone, eugenol, and E ‐2‐decenal. E ‐2‐Decen‐1‐ol was the most abundant compound in C. sativum (26.0% TIC) but only contributed 0.39% of the total odour activity. The most abundant compound in E. foetidum was E‐ 2‐dodecenal (63.5% TIC), which also contributed the most odour activity (52.9%). Other important odorants were either eugenol or a trimethylbenzaldehyde isomer, β‐ionone, Z‐ 4‐dodecenal, dodecanal, and E‐ 2‐tetradecenal. GC×GC–TOFMS allowed the identification of 42 and 20 compounds not previously reported in the literature for C. sativum and E. foetidum , respectively. In particular, β‐ionone was determined to be an important odorant in both samples but could not be identified with GC–qMS.