Influence of thermal processing on the volatile constituents of muskmelon puree.

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L) is an important tropical
fruit cultivated widely in different parts of India. Fresh
muskmelon has a delicate but characteristic flavor rendering
the fruit with highly acceptable flavor. Processing and preservation
ofmuskmelon puree requires thermal processing,which
affects the volatile constituents. It is imperative to understand
the flavor changes during thermal processing which would
affect the quality of the processed and packed muskmelon
puree. Muskmelon puree was subjected to different methods
of thermal processing viz., heating, canning and packing in
retort pouches and the volatile constituents were analyzed. Gas
chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) indicated the
presence of more than 49 volatile components in the muskmelon
puree samples. Major volatile components identified
using GC-MS analysis showed the presence of esters
(27.29 %), aldehydes (18.57 %), Heterocyclic compounds
(16.63 %), aliphatic alcohols (11.72 %), phenolic compounds
(6.03 %) and sesquiterpenes (0.25 %) in the fresh samples.
Aldehydes decreased and ester content increased in thermally
processed muskmelon puree packed in cans and retort
pouches. Aliphatic alcohols, Heterocyclic compounds and
phenolic compounds decreased in puree processed in tin containers
and retort pouches.