We have developed an enzymatic protocol to modify the composition of palmarosa essential oil by acylation of its alcohol components by three different acyl donors at various rates. The resulting modified products were characterized by qualitative and quantitative analyses by gas chromatography, and their olfactory properties were evaluated by professional perfumers. We showed that our protocol resulted in two types of modifications of the olfactory properties. The first and most obvious effect observed was the decrease of the alcohol content, with the concomitant increase of the corresponding esters, along with their fruity notes (pear, most notably). The second and less obvious effect was the expression of notes from minor components ((E)-β-ocimene, linalool, β-caryophyllene, and farnesene), originally masked by the sweet-floral-rose odor of geraniol, present in 70% in the palmarosa essential oil used, and emergence of citrus, green, spicy and clove characters in the modified products. This methodology might be considered in the future as a sustainable route to new natural ingredients for the perfumer.
Keywords: Biocatalysis; Essential oils; Fragrance; Lipases; Odorants; Palmarosa oil.
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