ABSTRACT
The unique organoleptic properties of citrus fruits are due to the unique composition of their constituents. In general, the avor and fragrance of citrus peel oils and citrus juice extracts consist of dominant amounts of the nearly odorless limonene accompanied by monoterpenes such as myrcene, γ-terpinene, α-and β-pinene, or sabinene, and sesquiterpenes such as caryophyllene, together with bisabolenes, bergamotenes, or valencene, and fatty aldehydes such as octanal and decanal. Detailed reports on the composition of citrus oils are established by Dugo et al. (2002) and Sawamura (2000). Despite of this common general pro le, each single Citrus species can be distinguished by an individual characteristic organoleptic signature, which is developed by complex and well-balanced mixtures of trace components. Thanks to the recent evolution of analytical methods and techniques, we now are able to identify potent key compounds of extremely low abundance and extraordinarily low odor thresholds.
