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Production method and varietal source influence the volatile profiles of spirits prepared from fig fruits (Ficus carica L.)

European Food Research and Technology volume 244, pages 2213–2229 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Fig fruits (Ficus carica L.) are used in several Mediterranean countries to produce alcoholic spirits, with either plurivarietal dried figs or, monovarietal fresh figs as the raw material. To determine the influence of different varietal attributes and production methods on the quality of fig spirits, we analyzed the volatile compounds that contribute to the aroma and organoleptic characteristics of spirits derived from eight Portuguese varieties of fresh figs, as well as mixtures of dried figs processed in the laboratory and plurivarietal fig spirits already in the market. The quantification of major and minor volatiles by GC-FID revealed that the plurivarietal dried fig spirits contained greater quantities of short-chain fatty acid esters and higher alcohols (associated with poor-quality spirits) and compounds with a negative influence on aroma and flavor (such as ethyl lactate, ethyl acetate and diethyl succinate) than the fresh fig spirits. HS-SPME/GC–MS analysis detected 130 volatile compounds, among which the esters ethyl decanoate, ethyl octanoate and ethyl dodecanoate, the aldehydes benzaldehyde and furfural, the monoterpene limonene and the norisoprenoide β-damascenone were common constituents in most of the spirits. The volatile profile of all dried fig distillates was similar and diverse, reflecting the plurivarietal origin, whereas the monovarietal fresh fig spirits produced distinct profiles (sufficient for varietal chemical differentiation), with Burjassote branco distillates containing the greatest number of volatile compounds. This volatile analysis provides a way to determine the quality of fig spirits objectively and to develop spirits with novel characteristics for the market.

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Fig. 1

Abbreviations

CDTA1 and CDTA2:

Commercial dried fig spirits distilled in a traditional copper alembic

CDSC:

Commercial dried fig spirit distilled in a steam column distillation system

LDTA:

Laboratory scale dried fig spirit distilled in a traditional copper alembic

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Eng. João Costa and Eng. José Fernando Prazeres from DRAP Algarve for providing the fig samples, and the local producers Regionalarte-Produção de Artesanato, Lda., Tonico distillery and the distillery of Mr. Lidório da Cruz de Jesus for providing the commercial fig spirits. We are also very grateful to Ángel R. de Lera and Rosana Álvarez from the Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Chemistry and Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CINBIO), University of Vigo, for their valuable contributions. This research was financially supported by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal (SFRH/BPD/103086/2014).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal

    Raquel Rodríguez-Solana & Anabela Romano

  2. Centro para os Recursos Biológicos e Alimentos Mediterrânicos (MeditBio), Universidade do Algarve, Edf. 8, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal

    Raquel Rodríguez-Solana, Ludovina R. Galego & Anabela Romano

  3. Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Universidade do Algarve, Campus da Penha, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal

    Ludovina R. Galego

  4. Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), Av. de la Paz, 137, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain

    Efrén Pérez-Santín

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  1. Raquel Rodríguez-Solana
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  2. Ludovina R. Galego
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Correspondence to Anabela Romano.

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Rodríguez-Solana, R., Galego, L.R., Pérez-Santín, E. et al. Production method and varietal source influence the volatile profiles of spirits prepared from fig fruits (Ficus carica L.). Eur Food Res Technol 244, 2213–2229 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-018-3131-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-018-3131-3

Keywords

  • Fruit spirits
  • Monovarietal
  • HS-SPME
  • Volatile compounds
  • Figs