Author Topic: What Really Gives Oranges and Lemons Their Aroma  (Read 1294 times)

Millet

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« Last Edit: January 22, 2019, 06:20:21 PM by Millet »

Oolie

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Re: What Really Gives Oranges and Lemons Their Aroma
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2019, 05:27:06 PM »
So goes science. It pays to do your own experimenting if you have access to the purified compounds/equipment.
It's frustrating when known-false articles get cited again and again despite more accurate data.

SoCal2warm

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Re: What Really Gives Oranges and Lemons Their Aroma
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2019, 03:24:05 PM »
Limonene smells like the tangy component in orange or mandarin. If you've ever smelled fir trees that have a smell reminiscent of orange, that's limonene

It is often said that citral "smells like lemons", but actually citral has the antiseptic/astrignent component smell of lemons, like the smell over a glass of water right after old bottled lemon juice has been. In high doses it almost has a eucalyptus-like quality to the smell.

Terpinyl methyl ether smells a little bit reminiscent of artificially orange flavored soda. Maybe it smells a little like the sweet light note of grapefruit also.

Myrcene is the scratchy resinous (floral in a way) aspect in pomelos.
Ocimene in the deep earthy (also resinous) aspect in the peels of Satsuma mandarins.

The pleasant green woody background aspect in grapefruit and pomelos comes from nootkatone (and probably some closely related sesquiterpenes).

The dry aspect in bergamot comes from linalool, also the main component in the smell of lavender.

SoCal2warm

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Re: What Really Gives Oranges and Lemons Their Aroma
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2019, 12:23:18 AM »
I found this diagram:


They list Limonene, Nootkatone, Decanal, and beta-Sinensal as the most important components in the fragrance of orange.
(Although the levels of Nootkatone in orange must surely be much lower than they are in grapefruit and pomelo)

Also I believe Valencene is very important in the smell of oranges. There's a lot more Valencene in orange oil than Nootkatone.
(Nootkatone is basically just an oxidized form of Valencene)

Oolie

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Re: What Really Gives Oranges and Lemons Their Aroma
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2019, 04:25:39 PM »
Excellent!