1) University of Cukurova, Subtropical Fruits Research and Application Center, 01330, Balcali, Adana; 2) University of Mersin, High Scool Profeciency Department of Horticulture, 33600 Mut, Mersin; 3) University of Anadolu, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmocognosy, Eskisehir. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 285-286, May- June, 2007. Original article submitted May 10, 2006. 0009-3130/07/4303-0344 © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 344 Chemistry of Natural Compounds, Vol. 43, No. 3, 2007 VOLATILE COMPOSITIONS AND SOME FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS OF TABLE APRICOT VARIETIES FROM TURKEY E. Kafkas, 1 L. Son, 2 M. Kurkcuoglu, 3 and K. H. C. Baser 3 UDC 547.913 In the last few decades the world apricot production has been supplied mainly by Mediterranean countries, i.e., Turkey, Spain, Italy, France, and Greece [1]. Mut was the earliest fresh apricot growing in the center of the world. The first fresh fruits came to the market from this area and were sold at high prices [2]. The first significant studies on apricot flavor were previously performed by utilizing direct extraction, vacuum steam distillation, and charcoal adsorption to isolate the volatiles [3, 4]. Several other authors used various techniques for these determinations and made correlations between sensory and instrumental data or the odor unit concept [5–8]. SPME is a simple, solvent-free method for the isolation and concentration of volatile compounds present in the headspace without modifications of these compounds due to temperature or the solvent effect [9, 10]. Guillot [11] reported the chemical characterization of several apricot cultivars (Iranian, Orangered, Goldrich, Hargrand, Rouge de Roussillion, and A4025) as analyzed by HS-SPME-GC/MS. In the six cultivars, 23 volatile compounds were identified by HS-SPME-GC/MS. Studies on the odor threshold [7] demonstrated that the major contributors to the aroma of blended apricot included β-ionone, linalool, γ-decalactone, β-cyclocitral, phenylacetaldehyde, and γ-octalactone.The authors assume that β-ionone and linalool may be responsible for the floral character, and lactones for the fruity, peach, and coconut background aroma [6, 7]. Other compounds such as carbonyl compounds also contribute to the apricot aroma [5]. Gomez and Ledbetter [12] reported that the volatile compounds behaved differently during the fruit maturation period, alcohols being the most important group, quantitatively during the three developmental stages in apricot fruit. Guichard and Souty [13] compared the relative concentrations of various volatiles in six different apricot cultivars and showed that the C6 lipid degradation products, lactones, terpenes, and ketones, are the most abundant constituents. Several studies concerning the volatile fraction of apricot showing a great variability concerning the nature and concentration of the aromatic compounds isolated from different cultivars are available [7, 14]. However, studies devoted to volatile compounds involved in apricot flavor are scarce [5–8]. This study focuses on some pomological characteristics and identification of volatile constiuents of the main commercial (Precoce de Tyrinthe, Tokaloglu, Bebeco, and Sekerpare) apricot varieties. The fruit characteristics of four apricot cultivars are given in Table 1. The differences among the genotypes on fruit weights were found to be significant. Fruit weights ranged from 35.4 g (Sekerpare) to 47.4g (Precoce de Tyrinthe). Precoce de Tyrinthe and Bebeco were found to be firmer than the others. The largest kernel was obtained from Precoce de Tyrinthe and it was followed by Tokaloglu, Bebeco, and Sekerpare. These results are similar to the results of Son and Kuden [15], and the same authors had indicated that Tokaloglu was found to be 45.8 g. The highest titratable acidity was obtained from Tokaloglu and Precoce de Tyrinthe apricots, followed by Bebeco. Sekerpare had the lowest acidity. This results were found to be parallel to [5]. As regards the TSS, the highest TSS was found to be in Sekerpare, followed by Bebeco, Tokaloglu, and Precoce de Tyrinthe, similar to the results of [5]. In another study, Son and Kuden [15] reported some fruit quality characteristics of apricot cultivars grown in the Mut region. The authors had reported the following fruit characteristics for Precoce de Tyrinthe apricot: weight 48.8 g; TSS value 11.8%; and acidity 1.56%. Similar results were obtained in the present study (Table 1).