Monoterpene Hydrocarbon Composition of Citrus Oils ^a

Abstract

SUMMARY A method for estimating the total monoterpene hydrocarbon content of citrus oils is described. The procedure consists of adding an internal standard ( n ‐butylbenzene) to the oils, spotting the mixture on a chromatostrip, eluting the hydrocarbons, and analyzing the eluate by gas chromatography. The total monoterpene hydrocarbon content is calculated from the weights of n‐butyl‐benzene and citrus oil used and from the areas under the peaks of the monoterpene hydrocarbons and n ‐butylbenzene on the chromatogram. The average percent total monoterpene hydrocarbon content and the standard deviation are given for a selected number of citrus oils. Data also show the relative monoterpene hydrocarbon composition of these oils.