Research Progress on the Sources and Preparation Methods of Chiral Lactones

Abstract

γ- and δ-lactones are important flavor compounds, which are widely used in foods and daily chemical flavors. Due to the chiral centers in the molecules, the aroma characteristics of the two enantiomers of each of the lactones are quite different, which makes them have different purposes in the formulation of flavors and fragrances. In this paper, the natural sources, chemical structures, aroma characteristics and preparation methods of common chiral γ- and δ-lactones in foods are reviewed in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of chiral lactones and provide a reference for the development of new methods for their preparation.

Keywords

• chiral lactone; biosynthesis; chemical synthesis; γ-lactone; δ-lactone