Deodorizing Activity of Some Plant Extracts against Methyl Mercaptan

Abstract

The methanol extracts of 167 species (65 families) of spices, crude drugs and other plants were evaluated by gas chromatography for methyl mercaptan odor to search for new oral deodorizers that were more effective than sodium copper chlorophyllin (SCO). The extracts of 40 species (23 families) reduced the amount of methyl mercaptan. All 14 tested plants of Labiatae had remarkable activity. Six plants of sappan-wood (Caesalpinia sappan, Leguminosae), kuko (Lycium chinense, Solanaceae), hoonoki (Magnolia obovata, Magnoliaceae), sage (Salvia officinalis, Labiatae), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, Labiatae) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris, Labiatae) were more effective than SCC. The deodorant effects of the first three plants against methyl mercaptan were found to be novel. The essential oil of the latter three plants is known to remove fishy odor, but in our experiments, the non essential oil fraction also possessed activity for reducing methyl mercaptan, and it is thus suggested that the latter three plants contained new deodorizing components against methyl mercaptan. © 1984, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.