Δ-Decalactone

δ-Decalactone (DDL) is a chemical compound, classified as a lactone, that naturally occurs in fruit and milk products in traces. It can be obtained from both chemical and biological sources. Chemically, it is produced from Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of delfone. From biomass, it can be produced via the hydrogenation of 6-pentyl-α-pyrone. DDL has applications in food,The forty-ninth meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives; WHO food additive series 40; WHO: Geneva, 1998 polymer, and agricultural industries to formulate important products.

The S-enantiomer has a nutty odor with a fruity undertone. The R-enantiomer is the main component of the warning stench of the North American porcupine.

See also γ-Decalactone

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