Cereal Chem 52:396 - 402.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Volatile Components of Maturing Soybeans.

D. H. Honig and J. J. Rackis. Copyright 1975 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Soybeans were picked at intervals from 24 to 69 days after flowering and analyzed for major volatiles by vapor phase chromatography. Total volatiles measured as sublimates from whole soybeans decreased from a maximum value of 113 ppm during early maturation to about 0.1 ppm at maturity; yields from aqueous slurries of macerated beans decreased from 695 to 13 ppm during maturation. The major constituent, methanol, accounted for 30 to 90% of total volatile content. Other major compounds were ethanol and ethanal, together with much smaller amounts of propanal, acetone, pentane, pentanal, and hexanal. Yields of volatiles from maturing soybeans began to decrease rapidly at the yellowing stage. On the other hand, flavor intensity values for bitterness increased twofold after yellowing. Some correlation was found between lipoxgenase activity and yields of ethanal in early stages of maturation.