Modifications over Time of Volatile Compounds in Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.)

Abstract

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is an annual strongly-smelling herb belonging to the family Apiaceae, which is cultivated all over the world for its aromatic fruits (“seeds”) and, in many Asiatic and South American countries, for its green leaves. The aromatic features of leaves and fruits are sharply different, and the strong smell coming from leaves (many times referred to as a “bug” scent) is not always pleasant to many consumers from western countries. In our work, one Coriander small-seeded biotype has been grown in plastic covered greenhouses, and at given time intervals samples of leaves, flowers and fruits have been analyzed by means of HS-SPME and GC-MS to study the evolution over time of Coriander’s aromatic pattern.