Aroma Compound Release from Starches of Different Origins: A Physicochemical Study

Sensory properties, particularly aroma, play a crucial role in consumers’ acceptance and perceived quality of food. The release and the perception of aroma compounds is affected by their interaction with nonvolatile ingredients of foods, such as proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides. These interactions, whether reversible or irreversible, significantly influence aroma retention and release. Starch, a common food constituent, has been found to interact with aroma compounds, impacting flavor dynamics through processes like complexation and encapsulation. In this study, reversed-flow gas chromatography (RF-GC) is employed for the estimation of the release behavior of polar (diacetyl) and non-polar (dl-limonene) aroma compounds from starches of various origins (corn, wheat, rice, and potato). The results show that aroma compound release is influenced by the matrix composition, environmental conditions, and physicochemical properties of both starch and aroma compounds. The temperature-dependent mass transfer coefficients and activation energies reveal the strong influence of polar and non-polar characteristics on aroma compound behavior. Additionally, significant variations in retention and release are observed based on the starch type and the type of bonds involved in aroma compound interactions, underscoring the critical role of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters in flavor dynamics.