Sánchez-Fernández Rosa Elvira, Pérez-López Artemio, Morales-Solis Anabel, Manilla-Tellez Yesenia, Reyes-Carmona Erika Daniela, Avila-Uribe Graciela
Laboratorio Nacional de Investigación y Servicio Agroalimentario y Forestal (LANISAF), Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, km 38.5, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico.
Posgrado en Ciencia y Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Departamento de Ingeniería Agroindustrial, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, km 38.5, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico.
Foods. 2025 Mar 31;14(7):1222. doi: 10.3390/foods14071222.
Mezcal is a distilled beverage with a complex chemical profile defined by volatile organic compounds and physicochemical properties that determine its sensory attrib-utes. This study analyzed nine artisanal mezcals produced from four wild agave species in Oaxaca using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify key volatile compounds for traceability and quality control. A total of 82 volatile compounds were identified, with esters, terpenes, and higher alcohols being the most abundant. Eight key compounds, including ethyl acetate, acetic acid, 1-butanol, furfural, methanol, and 2-methyl-1-propanol, were quantified due to their significant impact on mezcal's quality and authenticity. Additionally, 1,2,3-trimethyl-benzene, nerolidol, and terpinolene were identified as exclusive compounds for differentiating mezcal by agave species and storage duration. The findings highlight the influence of fermentation, distillation, and storage conditions on mezcal's chemical profile and demonstrate the importance of standardized analytical methods for product authentication. Proper management of variables during fermentation and optimization of the final distillation cuts is necessary to fully comply with regulatory parameters and ensure product quality. By establishing a catalog of compounds that characterize the mezcals, this study provides a scientific basis for improving quality control, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing the traceability of mezcal in high-value markets. The next step is to validate the key volatile compounds with a larger sample and evaluate their reproducibility under different production and storage conditions.
梅斯卡尔酒是一种蒸馏酒，其复杂的化学组成由挥发性有机化合物和决定其感官特性的物理化学性质所定义。本研究使用固相微萃取（SPME）和气相色谱-质谱联用（GC-MS）分析了来自瓦哈卡州四种野生龙舌兰品种的九种手工梅斯卡尔酒，以确定用于可追溯性和质量控制的关键挥发性化合物。共鉴定出82种挥发性化合物，其中酯类、萜类和高级醇类含量最为丰富。由于乙酸乙酯、乙酸、1-丁醇、糠醛、甲醇和2-甲基-1-丙醇对梅斯卡尔酒的质量和真伪有重大影响，因此对这八种关键化合物进行了定量分析。此外，1,2,3-三甲基苯、橙花叔醇和萜品油烯被确定为区分不同龙舌兰品种和储存时间的梅斯卡尔酒的专属化合物。研究结果突出了发酵、蒸馏和储存条件对梅斯卡尔酒化学组成的影响，并证明了标准化分析方法对产品认证的重要性。在发酵过程中妥善管理变量并优化最终蒸馏馏分是完全符合监管参数并确保产品质量的必要条件。通过建立表征梅斯卡尔酒的化合物目录，本研究为改进质量控制、确保符合法规以及提高梅斯卡尔酒在高价值市场的可追溯性提供了科学依据。下一步是用更大的样本量验证关键挥发性化合物，并评估它们在不同生产和储存条件下的重现性。
