Abstract
The enantiomeric composition of 5-alkanolides (alkano-δ-lactones) from octano(C-8)- to do-decano-δ-lactone contained in coconut and dairy products was determined by the method described in the preceding paper. The enantiomeric contents of the (R) series of δ-lactones were C-8, 91-96% ; C-10, 68-84% ; and C-12, 36-81% in all the analyzed fresh coconut and coconut products ; and C-8, 12-17% ; C-10, 77-86% ; C-12, 90-94% ; and C-14, 91-96% in all the analyzed dairy products. These data demonstrate that the enantiomeric content of each lactone in the two series of products, except for the C-12 lactone of coconut, was almost constant independent of the variety of the product. The (R) content in the series of coconut δ-lactones decreased with increasing carbon number of the lactones, this trend being the opposite in the series of dairy products. These facts are considered to reflect on the enzymatic process of lactone formation, or on the characteristics of biological species.
