Question No.  13830 :
What is the chemical composition of durian that gives its distinctive odour? People always believe that durian should not be eaten with alcohol. Were there any scientific investigations done on the subject?

According to a recent analysis of the aroma composition of durian (Durio zibethinus) fruits published in 1995, there are 63 volatile constituents (including 30 esters, 5 ketones and 16 sulphurous compounds), which contribute to the smell. The major problem that still remains is the determination of the components most responsible for the distinctive smell of durians. The fruits from different clones appear to vary markedly in aroma composition, and the aroma composition may vary with ripeness. How much of a volatile substance contributes to the aroma of a fruit is not necessarily indicated by its relative abundance; some substances simply smell much more than others. A common belief is that it is harmful to drink alcohol after consuming durians. Some scientific studies have actually been conducted to investigate the validity of this belief. Despite the important contributions to our knowledge of durians and human/animal physiology provided by these experiments, some flaws are evident. Most of them were lacking a control treatment in which animals were fed an equivalent mass of some food item other than durian. Thus, any effects on alcohol absorption might be due to the presence of food in the stomach, and not durian per se. At this point, it is fair to say that consumption of durians with alcohol has not been shown to be harmful. Question Asked By:

Name: syloke soong

Age Group: 30 and above

Occupation Type: Engineer

Education Level: Post Graduate