Effect of enzymes on extraction of volatiles from celery seeds

Celery (Apium graveolens L.), belonging to the family Apiaceae, is widely used as a spice, in perfumery and pharmaceutical applications. It is reported to possess several nutraceutical attributes, such as anticoagulation activity of blood plasma and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Effects of various enzymes on the extraction of volatile oil of celery are reported in the present study. The oil yield, after cellulase, pectinase, protease and viscozyme pretreatment, was in the range 2.2–2.3% as against 1.8% in a control sample, by steam distillation. Profiling of the celery oil thus obtained by GC–MS showed that limonene, the major terpene, increased from 63% to 82% with enzyme treatment. The other major flavour compounds identified were β-selinene (16–17%), butyl phthalide and sedanolide. The study demonstrated that enzymes facilitated the extraction of celery oil with increase in oil yield with little change in either flavour profile or physicochemical properties of the oil.