Essay Esters—Flavors and Fragrances

Essential oil components are often found in the glands or intercellular spaces in plant tissue. They may exist in all parts of the plant but are often concentrated in the seeds or flowers. Many components of essential oils are steam-volatile and can be isolated by steam distillation. Other methods of isolating essential oils include solvent extraction and pressing (expression) methods. Esters (see the essay "Esters-Flavors and Fragrances") are frequently responsible for the characteristic odors and flavors of fruits and flowers, but other types of substances may also be important components of odor or flavor principles. Besides the esters, the ingredients of essential oils may be complex mixtures of hydrocarbons, alcohols, and carbonyl compounds. These other components usually belong to one of the two groups of natural products called terpenes or phenylpropanoids. 

Technique 25 Preparation of Samples for Spectroscopy Essay Esters—Flavors and Fragrances... 

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