Abstract
The effects of climatic conditions and geographical locations on the volatile flavor compounds of Ficus
carica fruit were investigated in this study. Fruit flavor compounds were extracted by using ultrasound
(US) water bath apparatus and eluted by n-pentane, diethyl ether (1:2) solvent and then analyzed by gas
chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GCMS). Fifty-one fruit compounds and fifty fruit compounds in the Garmsar and Karaj location,
respectively including aldehydes, alcohols, esters, ketones, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and other
compounds were indentified and quantified. The major flavor compounds of F. carica fruit obtained from
Garmsar and Karaj location were P-cymene, decanol, carvacrol, tricosane, tetracosane, pentacosane,
heptacosane, octacosane and nonacosane. Compared with Karaj location, Garmsar showed the highest
content of aldehydes and alcohols. Since the aldehydes and alcohols content of F. carica fruit is
considered as one of the more important indicators of high quality; climatic conditions and
geographical locations apparently have a profound influence on F. carica volatile quality.
Key words: Ficus carica L., fig fruit, flavor compounds, climatic conditions, geographical locations, ultrasound.
