Studies on hte Changes of Meat Fats by Various Processings

Part II. Gas Chromatographic Identification of Aliphatic γ- and δ-Lactones Obtained from Beef Fats

Abstract

Data are presented to show the gas chromatographic identification of a total of 18 saturated aliphatic γ- and δ-lactones obtained from melted beef depot fat, namely, _ϒ-C₆, _ϒ-C₇, _γ-C₈, _γ-C₉, and a homologous series of _γ- and δ-lactones of the even-carbon numbers C₁₀ to C₁₆ and of smaller amount of the odd-carbon numbers C₁₁ to C₁₅. These lactones were isolated by steam distillation and silicic acid adsorption chromatography, and identified through gas chromatography and infrared spectroscopy.
Lactones obtained had a peach-like flavor, and it was suggested that lactones were important in heated beef fat as the flavor compounds.