Volatiles in distillates of fresh radish of Japanese and Kenyan origin.

The steam-volatile constituents of fresh radish of Japanese and Kenyan origin have been studied by GC-MS technique. The over-all pattern of compounds in the two materials was similar. Ten mustard oils, of which pentyl, hexyl, and 4-methylpentyl isothiocyanate have not previously been reported as products of natural derivation, two related nitriles, dimethyl disulfide, methyl methanethiolsulfinate and 1-methylthio-3-pentanone, a novel sulfide-ketone, together constitute the major volatile sulfur products in the two radish materials. A few nonsulfur volatiles have also been identified. The diversity in chemical structure of the sulfur constituents becomes less surprising when regarded in terms of their biogenetic origin.