Farag Mohamed A, Khattab Amira R, Shamma Samir, Afifi Sherif M
Pharmacognosy Department, College of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El Aini St., Cairo 11562, Egypt.
Chemistry Department, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
Foods. 2021 Mar 30;10(4):728. doi: 10.3390/foods10040728.
Mahlab cherry ( L.) is a plant native to the Mediterranean basin and Eastern Europe, with several health benefits and culinary uses. We explored the compositional heterogeneity in the aroma profile and nutrients of three seeds in the context of its cultivar type, i.e., white and red, and in response to roasting. A holistic untargeted metabolomics approach was employed for the first time using solid-phase microextraction (SPME-GC-MS) profiles of seed volatiles and primary metabolites coupled with chemometrics. Around 65 peaks belonging to sugars, fatty acids, esters and organic acids were identified by GC-MS. White mahlab from Egypt is rich in fatty acids, e.g., oleic and -linolenic acids. Some acyl esters, e.g., glycerylmonostearate and -butylcaprylate, characterized mahlab cultivars from various origins. A total of 135 volatiles were identified, with organic acids and aldehydes the most abundant. Aldehydes were the most discriminatory in seed origin and in accounting for its distinct aroma. Several roasting indices were identified, viz. 1-octanol, -caprolactone and isomintlactone. A direct relationship between furans and fatty acids was rationalized by cyclic transformation of the latter into furan derivatives. This study provides the first chemical evidence supporting the nutritional and flavor determinants of mahlab seeds, suggesting novel uses as a functional food.
马勒布樱桃（L.）是一种原产于地中海盆地和东欧的植物，具有多种健康益处和烹饪用途。我们在其品种类型（即白色和红色）的背景下，以及对烘焙的响应中，探索了三种种子在香气特征和营养成分方面的组成异质性。首次采用了一种整体的非靶向代谢组学方法，使用种子挥发物和初级代谢物的固相微萃取（SPME-GC-MS）图谱，并结合化学计量学。通过GC-MS鉴定出约65个属于糖、脂肪酸、酯和有机酸的峰。来自埃及的白色马勒布富含脂肪酸，例如油酸和γ-亚麻酸。一些酰基酯，例如单硬脂酸甘油酯和辛酸丁酯，是不同产地马勒布品种的特征。总共鉴定出135种挥发物，其中有机酸和醛类最为丰富。醛类在种子来源及其独特香气的形成中最具区分性。确定了几个烘焙指标，即1-辛醇、ε-己内酯和异薄荷内酯。通过将脂肪酸环化转化为呋喃衍生物，合理化了呋喃与脂肪酸之间的直接关系。本研究提供了首个化学证据，支持马勒布种子的营养和风味决定因素，表明其作为功能性食品的新用途。
