Über die Biogenese von Aromastoffen bei Pflanzen und Früchten / About the Biogenesis of Aroma-Substances in Plants and Fruits

Abstract

Banana slices metabolize 8-14C-octanoic acid via β-oxidation to ketones, alcohols, and fatty acids depending on the climacteric state of the fruits. Simultaneously, esterification of the octanoic acid and its reduction to octanol take place. The latter was found as alkyl component in various esters. As the typical banana-aroma component cis-hepten- (4) -ol- (2) was found. The position of the double bond was determined by treatment with osmium tetroxide, sililation of the resulting hydroxycompound, and mass spectrometric fragmentation. Strawberries have a similar composition of the aroma but cis-hepten- (4) -ol- (2) was not formed. The occurence of 14C-labelled oenanth- and valeric acid is explained by α-oxidation.