Synthesis and analysis of 1-octen-3-ol, the main flavour component of mushrooms

The most abundant volatile occurring in mushrooms and responsible for the mushroom odour is 1-octen-3-ol. To meet the demand for a flavour compound yielding a mushroom odour a study was carried out on the possibility of obtaining 1-octen-3-ol synthetically. On the basis of literature data and experiments performed, the synthesis of this compound was carried out by two methods, i.e. by Grignard reaction between acrolein and amyl iodide and by selective reduction of 1-octen-3-on. The purity of the 1-octen-3-ol obtained was determined by GLC chromatography and by spectroscopic methods. The compound obtained by Grignard reaction had its IR, 13C NMR spectra and GLC chromatogram identical with those of the standard. The yield of 1-octen-3-ol by Grignard reaction was 65%, while the reduction of the ketone to the alcohol gave a yield of 90%.