Peas, pyrazines from

Minuscule quantities of naturally-occurring pyrazines have been found in some foodstuffs and are largely responsible for their flavor and aroma. For example, 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine is isolated from green peas and wine and a seasoned wine connoisseur can identify a ppt quantity. In addition, 2-methyl-6-vinylpyrazine exists in coffee. 

Three extremely odorous pyrazines, 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine, 2-s-butyl-3-methoxypyrazine, and 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine have been shown to be present in green peas, and are likely to be of major significance in the flavor of peas (59). The volatile oil of green bell peppers has been found to contain 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine as a major component (60,61). The alkylpyrazines in potato chips (62,63) and roasted peanuts (63) have been examined. 2-Isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine has been characterized in the vacuum steam volatile oil of potatoes (64), 2-ethyl-3-methoxypyrazine in cooked potato (65), and 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine and 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyTazine as the components important to the aroma of baked potato (66). A variety of alkylpyrazines have been identified in roasted sesame seeds (67) and 21 pyrazines have been identified in the aroma components isolated from roasted green tea (68). 

Acid extraction yielded the following pyrazine derivatives tetramethylpyra-zine, 2,6-diethyl-3-methylpyrazine (47), 2,3-dimethyl-5-ethylpyrazine, 2-methoxy-3-isopropoxy-5-methylpyrazine, and 2,6-dimethoxy-3-isopropoxy-5-methylpyra-zine.38 All structures were confirmed by synthesis. Pyrazine derivatives had previously been isolated from green peas (Pisum sativum).39... 

Our results showed that the flavour profile of peas was affected by market class, cultivar location, and crop year. The highest total volatile compound (TVC) was observed in cultivars from marrowfat-market class. Crops grown in Meath Park location had the highest TVC. Furthermore, different volatile compounds were identified in pea cultivars. In both crop years, cultivars from the green-market class had the highest mean values of esters and hydrocarbons, whereas the highest value of alcohols was observed for the marrowfat-market class, and the dun-market class had the highest mean values of ketones and pyrazine. 3-Methyl-butanol, 1-propanol, 2-ethyl-hexanol, 3-methyl-butanal, trichloromethane, 2-butanone, dimethyl sulfide, ethyl acetate and 2,3-diethyl-5-methyl pyrazine were the most abundant volatile compounds observed in the pea cultivars. 

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