The purpose of this work was to characterize the headspace volatile profiles of California blue elderberries (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea) grown in hedgerows. These native elderberries are drought- and fire-tolerant and may serve as a value-added crop for California farmers. While European varieties of elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. nigra) have historical use as medicinal plants and are now used in a variety of commercial food and beverages today, there is a growing interest to utilize the California blue elderberry in similar applications. An important step to reach this goal is to understand the organoleptic properties of the blue elderberry and how they compare to the European elderberry varieties. California blue elderberries were harvested from 17 hedgerows on five farms over the growing season in 2018 and 2019 and analyzed by HS-SPME/GC-MS. Herein, 90 volatile compounds were identified in S. nigra ssp. cerulea, including 21 alcohols, 14 hydrocarbons, 12 aldehydes, 11 ketones, 10 esters, 9 terpenes, 5 furans, and 4 acids. The predominant volatile compounds include dihydroedulan, reported to be a key volatile in the aroma of several cultivars of S. nigra ssp. nigra, as well as 1-hexanol, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, benzaldehyde, β-phellandrene, hexanal, methyl salicylate, theaspirane, o-cymene, linalool, limonene, eugenol, and styrene. All compounds except eugenol have been identified in S. nigra ssp. nigra. Notably, a key volatile identified in cultivars of S. nigra ssp. nigra with a floral aroma, β-damascenone, was not identified in the California blue elderberry. Overall, the similarity between the California blue elderberry and European elderberry varieties suggest that the California blue elderberry could be used in similar applications and deliver the familiar organoleptic properties of S. nigra ssp. nigra.

Characterizing headspace volatile profiles of native, drought-tolerant California blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea)

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.