Identification and quantification of headspace volatile constituents of okpehe, fermented Prosopis africana seeds

The volatile components of the fermented seeds of Prosopis africana, (okpehe), were determined. Traditional method of production was used. The volatile constituents were analyzed by Gas Chromatography using the PDMS-SPME head space technique and identification of volatiles was by comparing their retention time and mass spectra with those of the library. In all, there are about 51 volatile components with 8 alcohols, 15 aldehydes, 8 ketones, 2 acetates, 11 benzene derivatives, 4 alkanes, 2 alkenes and 4 others. The aldehydes constitutes the bulk of the volatiles followed by the pyrazines. Most of the identified compounds are known to have strong impact on the flavour and fragrance of fermented and roasted products.