Analysis of Floral Scent Components of Rosa foetida Herrm., a Rose with an Unpleasant Fragrance

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Rosa foetida Herrm. is an important wild rose that contributed to the birth of modern yellow cultivars. It is also well known for the unpleasant odor, not prevalent in other roses, emanating from its petals. We analyzed the floral scent of R. foetida and its sport cultivars, R. foetida var. bicolor (Jacq.) Willm. and R. foetida f. persiana (Lem.) Rehd., to identify the causative compounds for their offensive odor. Fatty acid derivatives 2,4-decadienal (2,4-DA), 2,4-decadienol (2,4-DO), and (Z)-jasmone were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry along with several terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and hydrocarbons. Among them, 2,4-DA and 2,4-DO were identified as the causative compounds of the offensive odor. This is the first detection of these fatty acid derivatives in the scent of rose flowers. We also analyzed the floral scent of eight descendant cultivars of R. foetida: ‘Agnes’, ‘Harison’s Yellow’, ‘Rhodophile Gravereaux’, ‘Schloss Seusslitz’, ‘Soleil d’Or’, ‘Star of Persia’, ‘The Queen Alexandra Rose’, and ‘Williams’ Double Yellow’. 2,4-DA and 2,4-DO were only detected in the smell of ‘Star of Persia’. No other descendant was found to emit these fatty acids. This is the first analysis of an unpleasant odor in roses.