Aroma constituents of some sour citrus oils.

The essential oils of"sumikan"(a cultivar of Citrus aurantium), "naoshichi"(C. tagumasudachi)and"yuzu"(C. junos)were analyzed by gas chromatography and GC-MS. The peak area percentages of the hydrocarbons and the oxygenated compound among the aroma constituents identified were as follows: 99.3% and 0.45% for"sumikan", 99.4% and 0.49% for "naoshichi", and 90.6% and 8.74% for "yuzu". It is suggested that it is the terpenic hydrocarbons that may largely contribute to the characteristic odour of "sumikan" and "naoshichi". Myrcene was especially predominant(24.3%)in"sumikan". The oxygenated compounds involved in"yuzu" oil much than in "sumikan" and "naoshichi" oils might deeply take part in the characteristic odour of "yuzu".