Characterization of Key Odorants in Hoary Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum incanum

Abstract

Pycnanthemum incanum, a species of wild mountain mint endemic to North America, has a pungent mint-like odor that has not been fully characterized. Due in part to its high terpene content, P. incanum has broad potential for health-promoting, cosmetic, culinary, and food flavoring applications. Therefore, odorants of P. incanum were identified by coupling solvent assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), which afforded 24 odorants including 14 odorants with flavor dilution (FD) factors ≥4. Selected odorants, including those with FD factors ≥16, were quantitated by stable isotope dilution assays (SIDAs), and odor activity values (OAVs) were determined. The odorants with the highest OAVs included β-ionone (floral, violet; OAV 300), myrcene (terpeny, OAV 120), linalool (floral, citrus; OAV 79), and pulegone (mint, medicinal; OAV 58). An odor-simulation model based on the quantitation closely matched the sensory attributes of the original P. incanum plant material. In addition, enantiomeric proportions of chiral odorants in P. incanum were determined by chiral chromatography.

The Volatile Phytochemistry of Seven Native American Aromatic Medicinal Plants

“…Although the percentages of the volatiles were not reported, the enantiomeric distributions of several components were determined (Table 6). 1-Octen-3-ol, isomenthone, αterpineol, and pulegone showed comparable enantiomeric distributions between P. incanum essential oil and the volatiles from the previously published diethyl ether extract [20]. Concentrations of α-pinene, linalool, and menthol were too low in this current study to obtain reliable enantiomeric distributions for comparison.…”

“…To our knowledge, this is the first reported analysis of P. incanum essential oil. Volatiles obtained from a diethyl ether extract have been analyzed by gas chromatography-olfactometry to determine the key odorants [20]. Although the percentages of the volatiles were not reported, the enantiomeric distributions of several components were determined (Table 6).…”

“…The Cherokee and Choctaw people used the leaves of P. incanum externally to treat headaches [2]. Dein and Munafo have characterized the key odorants from P. incanum to be β-ionone, myrcene, linalool, and pulegone [20].…”

Key Odorants from the American Matsutake, Tricholoma magnivelare

“…Another method was developed to separate the enantiomers of 1-octen-3-ol as was described previously. 18 Briefly, the flow rate was maintained at 5 mL/min and the sample injected on-column at a starting temperature of 40 °C. After 1 min, the temperature was increased at 0.5 °C/min to 100 °C.…”

“…These odorants were described as mushroom and cinnamon in character, respectively. The odorants with the next highest FD (256) included linalool ( 13), (2E,4E)-2,4-nona-2,4-dienal (18), and ethyl-3-phenylpropanoate (22), with attributes described as floral-citrus, fatty, and cinnamon, respectively. The odorants with FD factors of 64 were: hexanal (2), (2E)-oct-2-enal (8), 3-(methylsulfanyl)propanal ( 9), methyl-3-phenylpropanoate (21), and methyl (E)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate (30).…”