Aroma compound

An aroma compound, also known as odorant, aroma, fragrance, flavor, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. A chemical compound has a smell or odor when two conditions are met: the compounds needs to be volatile, so it can be transported to the olfactory system in the upper part of the nose, and it needs to be in a sufficiently high concentration to be able to interact with one or more of the olfactory receptors.

Aroma compounds can be found in food, spices, perfumes, fragrance oils, and essential oils. Odorants can also be added to a dangerous odorless substance, like natural gas, as a warning.

Compounds

• 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole (cork taint)
• Anethole (liquorice, anise seed, ouzo, fennel)
• Anisole (anise seed)
• Cadaverine (rotting flesh)
• Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora)
• Ethanethiol, formerly called Ethyl mercaptan (Durian, added to natural gas and LNG)
• Grapefruit mercaptan (grapefruit)
• Indole (jasmine flowery, feces)
• Methanethiol, formerly called Methyl mercaptan (added to natural gas and LNG)
• Methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen)
• Nerolin (orange flowers)
• Putrescine (rotting flesh)
• Pyridine (very unpleasant)
• Skatole (bad breath, feces)
• Sotolon (maple syrup, curry,fenugreek)
• Substituted pyrazines:
  2-ethoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine, 2-methoxy-3-sec-butylpyrazine, 2-methoxy-3-methylpyrazine (toasted seeds of fenugreek, cumin, and coriander)
• Thujone (juniper, common sage, Nootka cypress, and wormwood)
• Trimethylamine (fish)
• Vanillin (vanilla)

Alcohols

• Benzyl alcohol (oxidises to benzaldehyde, almond)
• cis-3-hexen-1-ol (fresh cut grass)
• Ethyl maltol (sugary, cooked fruit)
• Eugenol (clove oil)
• Furaneol (strawberry)
• Linalool (coriander, rosewood)
• Menthol (peppermint)
• Thymol (Thyme-like)

Aldehydes

• Acetaldehyde pungent
• Benzaldehyde (marzipan, almond)
• Hexanal (green, grassy)
• Cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon)
• cis-3-hexenal (green tomatoes)
• Citral (Lemongrass, lemon oil)
• Furfural (burnt oats)
• Neral (citrus, lemongrass)
• Strawberry aldehyde (strawberry, aldehyde C16)

Esters

• Ethyl acetate (fruity, solvent)
• Ethyl butanoate (fruity) - also known as ethyl butyrate.
• Methyl butanoate (apple, fruity) - also known as methyl butyrate.
• Pentyl butanoate (pear, apricot)
• Pentyl pentanoate (apple, pineapple)
• Isoamyl acetate (banana)
• Hexyl acetate (fruity)
• Ethyl hexanoate - also known as ethyl caproate.
• Ethyl octanoate - also known as ethyl caprylate
• Ethyl decanoate - also known as ethyl caprate.

There are many more esters than these few examples

See also

• Olfaction
• Olfactory system
• Olfactory receptor
• Pheromone
• Odor detection threshold

External links

• Leffingwell, commercial odorant information resource.
• The Good Scents Company, commercial odorant information resource.
• Fantastic-Flavour, commercial odorant/flavour information resource.