{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,12]],"date-time":"2026-11-12T20:46:01Z","timestamp":1794516361299,"version":"4.9.1"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,31]],"date-time":"2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743379200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Direcci\u00f3n General de Investigaci\u00f3n, Posgrado y Servicio (DGIPS), Universidad Aut\u00f3noma Chapingo"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Mezcal is a distilled beverage with a complex chemical profile defined by volatile organic compounds and physicochemical properties that determine its sensory attrib-utes. This study analyzed nine artisanal mezcals produced from four wild agave species in Oaxaca using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography\u2013mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify key volatile compounds for traceability and quality control. A total of 82 volatile compounds were identified, with esters, terpenes, and higher alcohols being the most abundant. Eight key compounds, including ethyl acetate, acetic acid, 1-butanol, furfural, methanol, and 2-methyl-1-propanol, were quantified due to their significant impact on mezcal\u2019s quality and authenticity. Additionally, 1,2,3-trimethyl-benzene, nerolidol, and terpinolene were identified as exclusive compounds for differentiating mezcal by agave species and storage duration. The findings highlight the influence of fermentation, distillation, and storage conditions on mezcal\u2019s chemical profile and demonstrate the importance of standardized analytical methods for product authentication. Proper management of variables during fermentation and optimization of the final distillation cuts is necessary to fully comply with regulatory parameters and ensure product quality. By establishing a catalog of compounds that characterize the mezcals, this study provides a scientific basis for improving quality control, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing the traceability of mezcal in high-value markets. The next step is to validate the key volatile compounds with a larger sample and evaluate their reproducibility under different production and storage conditions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods14071222","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,31]],"date-time":"2025-03-31T08:48:00Z","timestamp":1743410880000},"page":"1222","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Chemistry of Mezcal: Volatile Profile of Artisanal Mezcal Made from Wild Agaves of Oaxaca"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4947-8262","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rosa Elvira","family":"S\u00e1nchez-Fern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio Nacional de Investigaci\u00f3n y Servicio Agroalimentario y Forestal (LANISAF), Universidad Aut\u00f3noma Chapingo, km 38.5, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9844-697X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Artemio","family":"P\u00e9rez-L\u00f3pez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Posgrado en Ciencia y Tecnolog\u00eda Agroalimentaria, Departamento de Ingenier\u00eda Agroindustrial, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma Chapingo, km 38.5, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1500-5870","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anabel","family":"Morales-Solis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Posgrado en Ciencia y Tecnolog\u00eda Agroalimentaria, Departamento de Ingenier\u00eda Agroindustrial, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma Chapingo, km 38.5, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yesenia","family":"Manilla-Tellez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Posgrado en Ciencia y Tecnolog\u00eda Agroalimentaria, Departamento de Ingenier\u00eda Agroindustrial, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma Chapingo, km 38.5, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-4378-6414","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erika Daniela","family":"Reyes-Carmona","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Posgrado en Ciencia y Tecnolog\u00eda Agroalimentaria, Departamento de Ingenier\u00eda Agroindustrial, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma Chapingo, km 38.5, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5801-0039","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Graciela","family":"Avila-Uribe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Estancia Posdoctoral Por Mexico, Secretar\u00eda de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnolog\u00eda e Innovaci\u00f3n, Posgrado en Ciencia y Tecnolog\u00eda Agroalimentaria, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma Chapingo, km 38.5, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Consejo Mexicano Regulador de la Calidad del Mezcal (2024). 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