Analytical Chemistry Techniques

Have you smelled durian fruit before?
Several new substances that contribute to its fragrance have been characterized. The latest research to decipher the unique aroma signature of the durian -- revered as the "king of fruits" in southeast Asia but reviled elsewhere as the world's foulest smelling food -- appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

41 highly odor-active compound

s that contribute to durian’s characteristic smell were pinpointed, 24 of which scientists had not identified in durian before. Among them, prominent oniony smelling odorants belonging to a compound class that has rarely been found in food before were characterized. Four of the newly discovered chemical compounds were previously unknown to science. http://bit.ly/V6AS75

Journal article: Characterization of the Major Odor-Active Compounds in Thai Durian (Durio zibethinus L. 'Monthong') by Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis and Headspace Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf303881k Image credit: American Chemical Society