Characterization of the Major Odor-Active Compounds in Fresh Rhizomes and Leaves of Houttuynia cordata by Comparative Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis

Zhenli Xu; Jing Liu; Johanna Kreißl; Claudia Oellig; Walter Vetter; Martin Steinhaus; Stephanie Frank

doi:10.3390/foods14132303

Characterization of the Major Odor-Active Compounds in Fresh Rhizomes and Leaves of Houttuynia cordata by Comparative Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis

Zhenli Xu (First Author), Jing Liu (Co-Author), Johanna Kreißl (Co-Author), Claudia Oellig (Co-Author), Walter Vetter (Co-Author), Martin Steinhaus^* (Co-Author), Stephanie Frank^* (Last Author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Houttuynia cordata is a culinary herb from Asia. Its edible rhizomes and leaves have a fishy aroma, the molecular background of which was unknown. A comparative aroma extract dilution analysis applied to fresh rhizomes and leaves resulted in 44 and 41 odorants, respectively, 38 of which were present with FD factors ≥1 in both samples. The odorant with the highest FD factors, whether in the rhizomes or leaves, was identified as metallic, soapy, fishy smelling 3-oxododecanal. Toward clarifying its tautomeric composition, quantum calculations suggested a predominance of the enol forms in the plant. However, the form perceived at the sniffing port during GC–O remained unclear.

Original language	English
Article number	2303
Number of pages	14
Journal	Foods
Volume	14
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14132303
State	Published - Jul 2025

Keywords

(1Z)-1-hydroxydodec-1-en-3-one
(2Z)-3-hydroxydodec-2-enal
3-oxododecanal
Gibbs free energy
Houttuynia cordata
comparative aroma extract dilution analysis (cAEDA)
flavor dilution (FD) factor
gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O)
keto–enol tautomerism

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@article{c65b50c73d16430bb7bea4f48323372b,

title = "Characterization of the Major Odor-Active Compounds in Fresh Rhizomes and Leaves of Houttuynia cordata by Comparative Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis",

abstract = "Houttuynia cordata is a culinary herb from Asia. Its edible rhizomes and leaves have a fishy aroma, the molecular background of which was unknown. A comparative aroma extract dilution analysis applied to fresh rhizomes and leaves resulted in 44 and 41 odorants, respectively, 38 of which were present with FD factors ≥1 in both samples. The odorant with the highest FD factors, whether in the rhizomes or leaves, was identified as metallic, soapy, fishy smelling 3-oxododecanal. Toward clarifying its tautomeric composition, quantum calculations suggested a predominance of the enol forms in the plant. However, the form perceived at the sniffing port during GC–O remained unclear.",

keywords = "(1Z)-1-hydroxydodec-1-en-3-one, (2Z)-3-hydroxydodec-2-enal, 3-oxododecanal, Gibbs free energy, Houttuynia cordata, comparative aroma extract dilution analysis (cAEDA), flavor dilution (FD) factor, gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O), keto–enol tautomerism",

author = "Zhenli Xu and Jing Liu and Johanna Krei{\ss}l and Claudia Oellig and Walter Vetter and Martin Steinhaus and Stephanie Frank",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 by the authors.",

year = "2025",

month = jul,

doi = "10.3390/foods14132303",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

journal = "Foods",

issn = "2304-8158",

number = "13",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Characterization of the Major Odor-Active Compounds in Fresh Rhizomes and Leaves of Houttuynia cordata by Comparative Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis

AU - Xu, Zhenli

AU - Liu, Jing

AU - Kreißl, Johanna

AU - Oellig, Claudia

AU - Vetter, Walter

AU - Steinhaus, Martin

AU - Frank, Stephanie

PY - 2025/7

Y1 - 2025/7

N2 - Houttuynia cordata is a culinary herb from Asia. Its edible rhizomes and leaves have a fishy aroma, the molecular background of which was unknown. A comparative aroma extract dilution analysis applied to fresh rhizomes and leaves resulted in 44 and 41 odorants, respectively, 38 of which were present with FD factors ≥1 in both samples. The odorant with the highest FD factors, whether in the rhizomes or leaves, was identified as metallic, soapy, fishy smelling 3-oxododecanal. Toward clarifying its tautomeric composition, quantum calculations suggested a predominance of the enol forms in the plant. However, the form perceived at the sniffing port during GC–O remained unclear.

AB - Houttuynia cordata is a culinary herb from Asia. Its edible rhizomes and leaves have a fishy aroma, the molecular background of which was unknown. A comparative aroma extract dilution analysis applied to fresh rhizomes and leaves resulted in 44 and 41 odorants, respectively, 38 of which were present with FD factors ≥1 in both samples. The odorant with the highest FD factors, whether in the rhizomes or leaves, was identified as metallic, soapy, fishy smelling 3-oxododecanal. Toward clarifying its tautomeric composition, quantum calculations suggested a predominance of the enol forms in the plant. However, the form perceived at the sniffing port during GC–O remained unclear.

KW - (1Z)-1-hydroxydodec-1-en-3-one

KW - (2Z)-3-hydroxydodec-2-enal

KW - 3-oxododecanal

KW - Gibbs free energy

KW - Houttuynia cordata

KW - comparative aroma extract dilution analysis (cAEDA)

KW - flavor dilution (FD) factor

KW - gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O)

KW - keto–enol tautomerism

U2 - 10.3390/foods14132303

DO - 10.3390/foods14132303

M3 - Article

SN - 2304-8158

VL - 14

JO - Foods

JF - Foods

IS - 13

M1 - 2303

ER -

Characterization of the Major Odor-Active Compounds in Fresh Rhizomes and Leaves of Houttuynia cordata by Comparative Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis

Abstract

Keywords

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