Articles
Volatile compounds diversity in wild populations of sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.), a promising minor crop for the ready-to-eat vegetable market
Article number
1442_47
Pages
351 – 358
Language
English
Abstract
Sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) is a perennial, strongly aromatic herb, which is present in the culinary traditions of many Mediterranean countries, being used for the preparation of salads and many other recipes.
Interest in a wider exploitation of this plant has led to the exploration of new applications in the food industry, including the potential use of sea fennel for the development of ready-to-eat products, and the use of its essential oil as an antimicrobial agent in the processing and packaging of fresh-cut vegetables.
In the present study the volatile fraction of flowers and leaves from wild plants of sea fennel harvested in five Italian coastal geographic areas (in Calabria, Marche, Puglia, Sardegna and Toscana) was characterized, by applying HS-SPME for volatile isolation and GC-MS for chemical determination.
Ten major constituents of the volatile fraction, belonging to the chemical classes of hydrocarbon and oxygenated monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids, have been identified and results of semiquantitative determination have been reported.
Three main chemotypes were identified: one with high levels of limonene, the second with thymol methyl ether and γ-terpinene as major constituents, and a third one with a mixed profile of the other two.
Interestingly, the three chemotypes were associated with different geographical areas.
The different contribution of the various compounds characterizing the three chemotypes to the sensory characteristics of sea fennel and to the antimicrobial properties of the essential oil extracted from it may suggest different and specific uses in the fresh-cut industry for plants originating from different geographic areas.
Interest in a wider exploitation of this plant has led to the exploration of new applications in the food industry, including the potential use of sea fennel for the development of ready-to-eat products, and the use of its essential oil as an antimicrobial agent in the processing and packaging of fresh-cut vegetables.
In the present study the volatile fraction of flowers and leaves from wild plants of sea fennel harvested in five Italian coastal geographic areas (in Calabria, Marche, Puglia, Sardegna and Toscana) was characterized, by applying HS-SPME for volatile isolation and GC-MS for chemical determination.
Ten major constituents of the volatile fraction, belonging to the chemical classes of hydrocarbon and oxygenated monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids, have been identified and results of semiquantitative determination have been reported.
Three main chemotypes were identified: one with high levels of limonene, the second with thymol methyl ether and γ-terpinene as major constituents, and a third one with a mixed profile of the other two.
Interestingly, the three chemotypes were associated with different geographical areas.
The different contribution of the various compounds characterizing the three chemotypes to the sensory characteristics of sea fennel and to the antimicrobial properties of the essential oil extracted from it may suggest different and specific uses in the fresh-cut industry for plants originating from different geographic areas.
Authors
A. Raffo, I. Baiamonte, V. Melini, N. Nardo, S. Casavecchia, G. Quattrini, L. Sforza, L. Aquilanti
Keywords
halophyte plants, terpenoids, aroma, flavour, fresh-cut, antibacterial, food preservation
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