Aroma active alkylated pyrazines are produced by Basfia succiniciproducens as by-products of succinic acid production

Culture supernatants of Basfia succiniciproducens derived from the industrial production of succinic acid exhibit an intense nutty, root vegetable-like, buttery and sourish smell. By means of headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (HS-GC-MS-O), 14 odour-active compounds were perceived and identified using two GC-columns of different polarity and comparison of retention indices and mass spectra to those of authentic reference compounds. Several alkylated pyrazines, including 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, 2,3,5-trimethyl-6-ethylpyrazine, 2,3,5-trimethyl-6-propylpyrazine and 2,3,5-trimethyl-6-butylpyrazine were found to contribute to the aroma of the culture supernatant. Quantitation of the pyrazines was performed by means of dynamic headspace-GC-MS after standard addition, and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine (9.10 mg/L) was the most abundant compound. Waste streams of the biotechnological production of commodity chemicals may thus represent a sustainable resource for the isolation of aroma compounds.