The Coconut-Like Flavor Defect of Milk Fat. I. Isolation of the Flavor Compound from Butter Oil and its Identification as δ-Decalactone

Abstract

[DELTA] -Decalactone, the lactone of 5-hydroxy decanoic acid, was isolated from heat-treated butter oil. A liquid-liquid methanol extraction was used to concentrate the lactone. Chromatography on neutralized alumina and Na2CO3 extraction yielded pure lactone which was identified by infrared analysis and by paper chromatography of its hydroxamic acid derivative. The typical "coconut-like" flavor of dry whole milk is caused by this lactone. Paper chromatographic methods were developed whereby a homologous series of gamma lactones from nonalactone to dodecalactone can be resolved.