Character Impact Odorants of Wild Edible Plant-Cacalia hastata L. var. orientalis-Used in Japanese Traditional Food

The chemical composition of the essential oil of Cacalia hastata L. var. orientalis has been investigated by GC and GC-MS. Important odor-active compounds were detected in the oil by GC-MS/Olfactometry (GC-MS/O) and aroma extraction dilution analysis (AEDA). Fifty-one compounds were identified in the oil by GC-MS. The major components of the essential oil were (+)-(4S)-cacalohastine (48.8%), germacrene D (11.4%), and myrcene (10.2%). GC-MS/O and AEDA showed that γ-terpinene, hexanol, and p-mentha-2,4(8)-diene were the most characteristic aroma compounds of the oil. It seems that these components are responsible for the fresh odor of C. hastata L. var. orientalis.