Relationship Between Polyene-Carotene Content and Volatile Compound Composition of Tomatoes1

Abstract Investigation of the polyene-carotene and volatile compound content of tomatoes showed that there is a high correlation between the following relationships: Geranylacetone and farnesal with phytofluene plus 2 ζ -carotene plus neurosporene: 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one and citral with neurosporene plus 2 lycopene plus 2 prolycopene plus γ -carotene plus δ -carotene: β -ionone with γ -carotene plus 2 β -carotene plus α-carotene; α-ionone with δ -carotene plus α-carotene. Also, there appears to be a relationship between farnesylacetone and 2 phytoene plus phytofluene. The basis for establishing these relationships was oxidation of the polyene-carotenes at the first conjugated diene bonds. These relationships may exist because the volatile compounds result from oxidation of the polyene-carotenes.