The idea of using a chromatographic adsorbent in the form of a thin layer fixed on an inert rigid support seems to have been suggested by Izmailov and Shraiber in 1938. Meinhard and Hall[1] in 1949 developed this notion of an ‘open column’, and in 1951 Kirchner, Miller, and Keller[2] reported the separation of terpenes on a ‘chromatostrip’, prepared by coating a small glass strip with an adsorbent mixed with starch or plaster of Paris, which acted as a binder. The strips were handled in the same way that paper is handled in paper chromatography, and indeed the original object of the thin-layer technique was to apply the methods of paper partition chromatography to an adsorption system.

Thin Layer Chromatography

The principal pathways for the formation of flavour compounds in cheese (glycolysis, lipolysis and proteolysis) are reviewed. Depending on variety, microflora and ripening conditions, lac- tate may be metabolized by a number of pathways to various compounds which contribute to cheese flavour or off-flavours. Citrate metabolism by citrate-positive lactococci or Leuconostoc spp. is important in certain varieties (e.g., Dutch cheeses). Lipolysis results directly in the formation of flavour compounds by liberating free fatty acids (FFA). FFA may also be metabolized to alkan-2-ones and fatty acid lactones. Proteolysis of the caseins to a range of small- and intermediate-sized peptides and free amino acids (FAA) probably only contributes to the background flavour of most cheese varieties, but FAA are important precursors for a range of poorly-understood catabolic reactions which produce volatile compounds essential for flavour.

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Biochemical pathways for the production of flavour compounds in cheeses during ripening: A review

Feed and animal factors influencing milk fat composition

Bacterial volatiles: the smell of small organisms

Flavour development in dairy fermentations, most notably cheeses, results from a series of (bio)chemical processes in which the starter cultures provide the enzymes. Particularly the enzymatic degradation of proteins (caseins) leads to the formation of key-flavour components, which contribute to the sensory perception of dairy products. More specifically, caseins are degraded into peptides and amino acids and the latter are major precursors for volatile aroma compounds. In particular, the conversion of methionine, the aromatic and the branched-chain amino acids are crucial. A lot of research has focused on the degradation of caseins into peptides and free amino acids, and more recently, enzymes involved in the conversion of amino acids were identified. Most data are generated on Lactococcus lactis, which is the predominant organism in starter cultures used for cheese-making, but also Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Propionibacterium and species used for surface ripening of cheeses are characterised in their flavour-forming capacity. In this paper, various enzymes and pathways involved in flavour formation will be highlighted and the impact of these findings for the development of industrial starter cultures will be discussed.

Flavour formation by lactic acid bacteria and biochemical flavour profiling of cheese products

Contribution of lactic acid bacteria to flavour compound formation in dairy products

Relations between cheese flavour and chemical composition

Effect of feed on flavor in dairy foods.

Thin-layer chromatography of aliphatic 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones.

The flavours of the following compounds were determined in synthetic butter prepared from 84% steam-deodorized butter oil and 16% water: C6, 8, 10, 12, 14 δ-lactones, C12 γ-lactone, C2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14n-alkanoic acids, phenol, m- and p-cresols, o-methoxyphenol, indole and skatole. C6, 8, 10 δ-lactones, C2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14n-alkanoic acids, phenol, m- and p-cresols, o-methoxyphenol and volatile fractions from butter oil were also evaluated in bland butter. None of the compounds listed constitute basic butter flavour on their own, but C8, 10 δ-lactones, C10 acid, phenol, p-cresol, indole and skatole contribute to butter flavour.

Volatile compounds in butter oil: II. Flavour and flavour thresholds of lactones, fatty acids, phenols, indole and skatole in deodorized synthetic butter

Gerda Urbach

Papers

Contribution of lactic acid bacteria to flavour compound formation in dairy products

Relations between cheese flavour and chemical composition

Effect of feed on flavor in dairy foods.

Thin-layer chromatography of aliphatic 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones.

Volatile compounds in butter oil: II. Flavour and flavour thresholds of lactones, fatty acids, phenols, indole and skatole in deodorized synthetic butter