Volatile Composition of Black Pepper

SUMMARY Using relatively mild gas chromatographic conditions, including glass‐lined injectors, glass columns and lower operating temperatures, the occurrence of a number of previously reported hydrocarbon and oxygenated terpenes in pepper oil has been confirmed. On the basis of gas chromatographic retentions and matching of infrared spectral data, and in the case of the latter compound, mass and NMR spectrometry, cis‐p‐2‐methen‐1‐ol, cis‐p‐2,8‐menthadien‐1‐ol and transpinocarveol have been identified as constituents of black pepper oil. Spectral data are reported which permit the partial characterization of a number of additional oxygenated compounds. The presence of artifacts due to photocatalyzed rearrangements is demonstrated and discussed.