PRODUCTION OF FLAVOR VOLATILES IN ENZYME AND SUBSTRATE ENRICHED PEANUT HOMOGENATES

The role of enzymes in the production of flavor volatiles from rawpeanuts was investigated through the use of enzyme- and substrateenriched peanut homogenates. Enzymatic control of the production of the flavor volatiles was shown by the generation of the volatiles upon addition of peanut acetone powders to an enzyme-inactivated sample. Lipoxygenase was shown to be primarily responsible for production of the flavor volatiles in model systems of purified peanut lipoxygenase and linoleic acid which produced gas chromatographic profiles almost identical to those of peanut homogenates. Typical lipoxygenase intermediates were. demonstrated in extracted lipid material from raw peanut homogenates by UV absorption peaks at 234 nm and 275 nm, whereas heat-inactivated samples showed only trace absorption peaks. The optimum pH for production of the flavor volatiles was between 6.5 and 7.0. Pentane production was inhibited by, propyl gallate, hydroquinone and ascorbic acid. Exogenous aliphatic alcohols added to peanut homogenates before blending were converted to their corresponding aldehydes, indicating that an alcohol-to-aldehyde conversion reaction exists in peanuts.