Comparative headspace analysis of living and fresh cut lime tree flowers (Tiliae flores)

The headspace constituents of living flowers (five hours trapping time) of the lime tree, Tilia cordata Mill. or T. platyphyllos Scop., Tiliaceae, as well as of cut flowers of the same tree (four hours trapping) were investigated using GC, GC-MS and a GC-sniffing technique. The main components of the headspace sample of the living flowers (concentration higher than 3%), were limonene (22.2%), p-cymene (21.7%), Delta super(3)-carene (15.3%), germacrene-D (8.7%), beta -phellandrene (3.6%) and farnesol (3.6%), while trans-carveol (12.6%), germacrene-D (11.7%), limonene (9.6%), p-cymene (9.3%), terpinolene (7.6%), Delta super(3)-carene (5.2%), alpha -,p-dimethylstyrene (4.2%), sabinene (3.2%) and gamma -cadinene (3.1%) dominated the sample of the cut flowers (closed-loop stripping technique). Additional information on the odour impression of both samples is given.