CHIRAL COMPOUNDS OF ESSENTIAL OILS XIV - SIMULTANEOUS STEREOANALYSIS OF BUCHU LEAF OIL COMPOUNDS

Multidimensional enantioselective gas chromatography, employing heart-cutting from a non-chiral precolumn onto a selectivity adjusted, modified cyclodextrin coated chiral main column, permits the simultaneous stereo differentiation of the chiral major compounds of buchu leaf oil. Commercially available essential oil as well as laboratory prepared samples were directly analysed. The enantiomeric distribution of limonene, menthone, isomenthone and pulegone was investigated, and the characteristic flavour impact compounds, 3-oxo-p-menthane-8-thiol and its thiol acetate, were stereoanalysed. Their chirality evaluation is discussed as an indicator of authenticity of 'cassis' type fruit aromas and fragrances.