Peanut butter and sunflower seed butter cookies: characterization and comparison of key odorants

A well-loved condiment, peanut butter is a staple in American households; however, peanut allergies are among the most prevalent of allergies and have continued to grow in the past decade affecting a significant portion of the American population. In response, more consumers have been turning to sunflower seed butter as a replacement for peanut butter. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the key odorants of peanut butter cookies (PBC) and sunflower seed butter cookies (SBC) using sensory descriptive analysis (DA) and sensory-guided instrumental analyses, to evaluate if SB is a viable alternative to PB in a baking application such as a cookie. Key odorants were extracted using direct solvent extraction-solvent assisted flavor evaporation and were identified using gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). Selected key odorants were quantitated by GC-MS using stable isotope dilution analysis. Sensory DA was used to identify and rate the intensities of seven sensory attributes (caramel, roasty, meaty, piney, earthy, and malty). Cookie type and OAVs for selected odorants were correlated using principal component analysis (PCA), and two-way orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS) analysis was conducted to correlate cookie type with sensory ratings of aroma attributes and concentrations of selected odorants. These results revealed 70 and 71 odorants in PBC and SBC, respectively, with flavor dilution (FD) factors ranging from 1 to 2187. Among these, 40 and 42 in PBC and SBC, respectively, were positively identified and selected for quantitation. Results of AEDA indicated methional, (E)-β-damascenone, MT-MFT, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, skatole, (E)-2-nonenal, and decanal to be most odor-important (FD ≥ 243). α-Pinene and p-cymen-7-ol were found to be unique to SBC, and 4-vinylphenol was unique to PBC. According to the OAV results, 2,3pentanedione and (E,Z)-2,4-decadienal were by far the highest contributors to PBC and SBC ii aroma. 4-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (furaneol), acetic acid, 2,3-butanedione, (E,Z)2,4-decadienal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, 4-vinyl-2-methoxyphenol (PVG), methional, and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline were also odor-important, and α-pinene was observed to be unique and significant to SBC only (OAV ≥ 10). Among the odorants whose OAVs ≥ 1, 2propionyl-1-pyrroline, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, and methional had more odor impact in SBC compared to PBC. PVG, trimethylpyrazine, and furaneol had OAVs much greater in PBC than in SBC. According to O2PLS analysis, the roasty aroma in PBC was closely related to trimethylpyrazine and 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine and caramel aroma was closely related to furaneol and PVG. The meaty aroma in PBC was also observed to be positively correlated with 2-acetylthiazole, which is significantly higher in concentration in PBC. In SBC, the piney aroma was closely related to α-pinene. In conclusion, this study is the first to report a comprehensive identification and quantitation of key odorants in PBC and SBC and provides valuable preliminary insights into the flavor component similarities and differences of PBC and SBC and possibly how the flavor composition SBC could be improved to make it closer to that of PBC. Though the cookies possessed significantly lower concentrations compared to roasted peanut meal and roasted sunflower seeds, PBC and SBC exhibit a range of key odorants that align with those identified in roasted peanut and sunflower seed products as reported in existing literature, suggesting that both peanut butter and sunflower seed butter are well-suited to baked cookie applications. The results of this study indicate that PBC and SBC share many key odorants and have a similar sensory aroma profile as well, signifying that adjusting levels of compounds associated with caramel aroma (furaneol and PVG) and roasty aroma (trimethylpyrazine and 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine) would improve SBC flavor. However, the primary challenge would lie in α-pinene as it is a significant key odorant unique to SBC. It is suggested that, for future studies, omission and recombination studies be conducted to fully determine the importance of α-pinene to characteristic SBC aroma and a quantitative evaluation be conducted on raw cookie dough to clearly determine the areas of flavor formation from the baking process of the cookies.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Food Science & Human Nutrition

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Law, Eileen Wai

Contributors dc:contributor

• Cadwallader, Keith
• Miller, Michael
• Engeseth, Nicki

• Peanut
• Sunflower
• Sunflower Seed
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies
• Cookies
• Baking
• Flavor
• Aroma
• Key Odorants
• Stable Isotope Dilution Analysis (sida)
• Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis (aeda)
• Sensory
• Descriptive Analysis
• Solvent-assisted Flavor Evaporation (safe)
• Gas Chromatography-olfactometry (gc-o)

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Eileen Law

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125830

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F125830