THE ORGANOSULFUR CHEMISTRY OF THE ONION

This review traces the transformation of S-alk(en)yl-L-cysteine sulfoxides, the onion aroma and flavor precursors, to a variety of remarkable cyclic and acyclic reactive organosulfur compounds, and their postulated intermediates, found in onion extracts and distillates. These compounds include sulfenic acids, mono and bis sulfines (thioaldehyde S-oxides), thioaldehydes, saturated and unsaturated thiosulfinate esters, 1, 2-dithietanes 1, 2-dioxides, 5, 6-dithiabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes ("zwiebelanes"), α-sul-finyldisulfides ("cepaenes"), dihydrothiophenes and thiophenes, among others. © 1991, Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.