Alcoholic fermented cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica): Identification of Volatile Compounds

Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica), a native fruit of the Brazilian Cerrado, has high potential for the elaboration of fermented products due to its content of sugars and bioactive compounds. Alcoholic fermentation emerges as a promising alternative for the use of this raw material, resulting in beverages with differentiated sensory characteristics and added value. In addition, the study of the volatile compounds generated during the fermentation process is essential to understand the aromatic profile of the final product and its acceptance by the consumer. The objective of this study was to identify the volatile compounds present in the fermented juice of cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica). A sample of cagaita alcoholic ferment was filtered, properly stored and sent to the Laboratory of Extraction and Separation Methods (LAMES-UFG) in Goiânia-GO for the identification of volatile compounds by gas chromatography. Analyses were performed with 3 μL of the sample by Headspace in an Aglient gas chromatograph model 7890B coupled to a 7000D triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, equipped with a DB-WAX column (30 m x 250 μm x 25 μm). Five main compounds were identified: carbon dioxide (5.97%), acetaldehyde (0.94%), ethanol (89.08%), acetoin (1.73%) and phenylethylalcohol (2.28%). Ethanol was the major compound, accounting for approximately 89% of the volatile composition, followed by carbon dioxide and phenylethylalcohol. These results indicate that the fermentation process resulted predominantly in the production of ethanol, with the presence of other volatiles that may have contributed to the sensory profile of the beverage.