Biodegradation of carotenoids�an important route to aroma compounds

Abstract

In the group of compounds referred to as degraded carotenoids the majority of the members are volatile compounds comprising 13 to 9 carbon atoms. A fair number of these are important aroma constituents occurring in many higher plants, some of which are widely used and of considerable economic importance. The discussion will be focused on the formation of selected representatives encountered in tobacco, since this is the richest single source of these compounds and also since it comprises a large number of degraded diterpenoids of known structure and stereochemistry providing additional information on possible degradative pathways. © 1985 IUPAC