Articles
Unique fragrance of roses: components of fried chicken-like odor and the old closet-like odor
Article number
1434_45
Pages
319 – 324
Language
English
Abstract
The scent of roses is a complex blend of various compounds.
Generally, the scent of roses is regarded as a pleasant fragrance, but there are also unique and unusual scents. Rosa fetida, a wild species that contributed to the birth of modern yellow roses, is known for its unpleasant scent that is not found in other roses as its name “foetidus = evil-smelling” suggests.
We discovered that the main cause of this unpleasant odor is 2,4-decadienal (2,4-DA) and 2,4-decadienol (2,4-DO), fatty acid derivatives that emits a fried chicken-like fatty odor.
The old Polyantha rose ‘Anne-Marie de Montravel’,a descendant of R. multiflora, has an old wooden closet-like odor, which is not found in other roses.
We identified two fatty acid derivatives, methyl 2,4-decadienoate (2,4-DD) and methyl 2,4,6-decatrienoate (2,4,6-DT), from the scent components emitted by ‘Anne-Marie de Montravel’, and revealed that the causative compound of the unusual scent was 2,4,6-DT. These compounds are known as stink bug pheromones. 2,4-DA and 2,4-DO were mainly detected in the descendant cultivars of R. fetida. 2,4-DD and 2,4,6-DT were mainly detected in the descendant cultivars of R. multiflora. However, in the scent of one of descendant cultivars of R. fetida, ‘Schloss Seusslitz’, 2,4-DA and 2,4-DO were not detected, and 2,4,6-DT was detected.
In ‘Aïcha’, which is considered to be a possible descendant cultivar of R. fetida, both of 2,4-DA and 2,4.6-DT were detected.
From the structures of these compounds, it is estimated that 2,4-DD and 2,4,6-DT were produced by oxidation of the aldehyde group of 2,4-DA and 2,4,6-decatrienal, respectively.
Though R. multiflora and R. fetida are classified into different sections in genus Rosa, they are thought to share common genes for enzymes that produce fatty acid derivatives with unique and unusual scents, which are on the same biosynthetic pathway.
Generally, the scent of roses is regarded as a pleasant fragrance, but there are also unique and unusual scents. Rosa fetida, a wild species that contributed to the birth of modern yellow roses, is known for its unpleasant scent that is not found in other roses as its name “foetidus = evil-smelling” suggests.
We discovered that the main cause of this unpleasant odor is 2,4-decadienal (2,4-DA) and 2,4-decadienol (2,4-DO), fatty acid derivatives that emits a fried chicken-like fatty odor.
The old Polyantha rose ‘Anne-Marie de Montravel’,a descendant of R. multiflora, has an old wooden closet-like odor, which is not found in other roses.
We identified two fatty acid derivatives, methyl 2,4-decadienoate (2,4-DD) and methyl 2,4,6-decatrienoate (2,4,6-DT), from the scent components emitted by ‘Anne-Marie de Montravel’, and revealed that the causative compound of the unusual scent was 2,4,6-DT. These compounds are known as stink bug pheromones. 2,4-DA and 2,4-DO were mainly detected in the descendant cultivars of R. fetida. 2,4-DD and 2,4,6-DT were mainly detected in the descendant cultivars of R. multiflora. However, in the scent of one of descendant cultivars of R. fetida, ‘Schloss Seusslitz’, 2,4-DA and 2,4-DO were not detected, and 2,4,6-DT was detected.
In ‘Aïcha’, which is considered to be a possible descendant cultivar of R. fetida, both of 2,4-DA and 2,4.6-DT were detected.
From the structures of these compounds, it is estimated that 2,4-DD and 2,4,6-DT were produced by oxidation of the aldehyde group of 2,4-DA and 2,4,6-decatrienal, respectively.
Though R. multiflora and R. fetida are classified into different sections in genus Rosa, they are thought to share common genes for enzymes that produce fatty acid derivatives with unique and unusual scents, which are on the same biosynthetic pathway.
Authors
N. Oyama-Okubo, Y. Mikanagi
Keywords
fatty acid derivatives, floral scent, offensive odor, Polyantha rose, Rosa fetida
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