Identification of a very odoriferous thiol, 2 methyl-3-furanthiol, in wines

Abstract

Volatile thiols present in wines were extracted with a vacuum distillation technique at low temperature coupled with a specific, reversible capture by an organomercuric salt (p-hydroxymercuribenzoate). After decombination of the thiols with an excess of cystein, the analysis of the organic extracts by gas chromatography with different detection modes (olfactometry, flame photometry and mass spectrometry), led to the identification of 2-methyl-3-furanthiol, a very odoriferous compound (odor threshold: 0.4-1.0 ng.1 -1 water), already described in coffee, cooked meat and yeast extracts.