Extraction of natural aroma compounds from basidiomycete submerged fermentation of acid whey

Natural aroma compounds are of increasing interest and here, 4-anisaldehyde, benzaldehyde and veratraldehyde were produced during a basidiomycete submerged fermentation of acid whey. An adsorption-based process was developed to concentrate these bioaromas using polymeric sorbents, Oasis HLB and PoraPak Rxn and food-grade aqueous ethanol. Dynamic binding capacities (DBC_10%) determined using standard solutions ranged from 21.15 to 37.40 mg mL^–1 on both adsorbents. When fermented acid whey was used as the feed, effective binding capacities were reduced due to competitive matrix interactions, highlighting the importance of process-relevant evaluation. Purification and concentration were performed using semi-preparative chromatography. Oasis HLB provided sharper elution and higher concentration than PoraPak Rxn, whereas PoraPak Rxn showed broader elution profiles and lower desorption efficiency but higher overall recoveries. In the purification of a 2 L sample using Oasis HLB, all key aroma compounds were recovered with 95-, 89-, and 93-fold concentrations for 4-anisaldehyde, benzaldehyde, and veratraldehyde, respectively. Sample volume was reduced by 99%, providing a concentrated feed for further downstream purification (e.g., distillation).