HSIN-CHUN CHEN¹, MING-JEN SHEU¹ AND CHUNG-MAY WU^2*

(Received: March 13, 2006; Accepted: September 14, 2006)

   Guava (Psidium guajava L. cv. Chung-Shan-Yueh-Pa) is a cultivar used for juice processing in Taiwan because of its aroma. Volatile compounds were isolated from guava fruit by simultaneous steam distillation and solvent extraction according to the Likens-Nickerson method.  Compounds were identified by capillary GC-MS and sensorily characterized by GC-sniffing.  A total of sixty five compounds were identified.  The major constituents identified in the guava fruits were: α-pinene, 1,8-cineole, β-caryophyllene, nerolidol, globulol, C6 aldehydes, C6 alcohols, ethyl hexanoate and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate.  The presence of C6 aldehydes, C6 alcohols, ethyl hexanoate, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, terpenes and 1,8-cineole is thought to contribute to the unique flavor of the guava fruit.