'Marion' and 'Thornless Evergreen' blackberry volatiles were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FED) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Based on total percentage of FID area 'Thornless Evergreen' contains significantly more alcohols, hydrocarbons, and phenols than the 'Marion'; 'Marion' contains more acids and esters. Both cultivars contained comparable amounts of aldehydes and ketones; alcohols were most abundant. The six most abundant volatiles in 'Marion' were ethanol, acetic acid, hexanoic acid, ethyl acetate, linalool, and 2-heptanol; they totaled 52% of total peak area. In 'Thornless Evergreen' the six most abundant volatiles were 2-heptanol, ethanol, 2,3-butanediol, hexanol, α-pinene, and ethyl acetate; they totaled 43% of total peak area. 'Marion' and 'Thornless Evergreen' blackberry aromas were compared using a pair of extraction and gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS) methods. One method is based on purge-and-trap (P&T, dynamic headspace) extraction and aroma intensity rating by detection frequency (DetF) and a numeric scale, and the other based on solvent assisted flavor extraction (SAFE) and aroma threshold dilution analysis (AEDA). The parallel use of P&T-DetF GC-0 and SAFE-AEDA provided more representative blackberry volatile compositional data than either alone. Eighty-four compounds were identified; seventy-seven were in 'Marion', and sixty-eight in 'Thornless Evergreen'. Thirty-seven have not been previously reported in blackberry. Fourteen volatiles out of eighty-four were described with aroma descriptors specific to bramble fruit (berry, blackberry, bramble, raspberry); no single compound was unanimously described as "characteristically blackberry". Fresh 'Marion' blackberry aroma has been described as floral, fruity, sweet, caramel-fruity, and woody, while fresh 'Thornless Evergreen' aroma is spicy, green, herbaceous, fruity, and sweet. Except for esters, the cultivars contain comparable numbers of acids, alcohols, aldehydes, furanones, hydrocarbons, ketones, phenolics, sulfur, and Theaspirane compounds. Research data implies some portion of the more floral, fruity, and sweet aroma of the 'Marion' blackberry may be the result of additional esters not shared with the 'Thornless Evergreen' blackberry, yet both cultivars apparently contain five furanones, which are powerful sources of sweet, fruity, and spicy aromas. Aroma reconstitution studies will be the key to resolving the significant aroma profile differences between 'Marion' and 'Thornless Evergreen' blackberries, as characteristic blackberry aroma is apparently a complex formulation of volatiles. / Graduation date: 2004

Blackberries have been enjoyed for their delicious flavor and high nutritional value for hundreds of years. In North America, blackberries were cultivated since 1850-1860. Blackberries have their characteristic and unique aromas depending on the cultivar and growing conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of seasonal variation and growing environment on blackberry aroma. Volatile compositions of 'Marion' and 'Thornless Evergreen' blackberries from three growing seasons were analyzed using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FED) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Seasonal variations were observed for some volatile compounds in these two blackberry cultivars. In 'Marion', the compounds were mainly acids, while in 'Thornless Evergreen', they were mainly acids, alcohols, and a few terpenoids. Although seasonal variations were present, it was generally observed that the most abundant volatiles in 'Marion' blackberry were acetic, 2/3-methylbutanoic, hexanoic and decanoic acids and linalool, whereas the most abundant volatiles in 'Thornless Evergreen' were 2-heptanol, hexanol, octanol, α-pinene, nopol and/p-cymen-8-ol. Compared with 'Marion', 'Thornless Evergreen' contained significantly more total volatiles, especially in alcohols, terpenoids and phenols, whereas 'Marion' contained more organic acids. Odor Activity Values (OAVs) were used to determine the most potent odorants in each cultivar. The compounds with high odor activity values (OAV > 10) in 'Marion' were ethyl hexanoate, β-ionone, linalool, 2-heptanone, 2-undecanone, α-ionone and hexanal. The compounds with high odor activity values (OAV > 10) in 'Thornless Evergreen' were ethyl hexanoate, 2-heptanone, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, 2-heptanol, 3-methylbutanal, α-pinene, limonene, p-cymene, linalool, t-2-hexenal, myrtenol, hexanal, 2- methylbutanal and sabinene. To investigate the influence of growing environment on blackberry aroma, aroma extraction dilution analysis (AEDA) was employed to characterize the aroma profile of 'Chickasaw' blackberries from two growing regions in United States: Oregon and Arkansas. Eighty-seven odorants were detected in the two berries, in which seventy-seven could be identified. Comparative AEDA analysis showed that the berries grown in these two regions had similar aroma compositions, however, those odorants had various aroma impacts in each region. The compounds with high FD factors in Oregon's 'Chickasaw' were ethyl butanoate, linalool, methional, trans,cis-2,6-nonadienal, cis-l,5-octadien-3-one, and 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy- 3(2H)-furanone, whereas in the 'Chickasaw' grown in Arkansas, they were ethyl butanoate, linalool, methional, ethyl 2-niethylbutanoate, β-damascenone and geraniol. The flavor formation in 'Chickasaw' blackberries was largely influenced by their growing environment. / Graduation date: 2005