SESQUITERPENIC EPOXIDES AND ALCOHOLS DERIVED FROM HYDROCARBONS OF VETIVER ESSENTIAL OIL

Increasing the value of the hydrocarbon fraction of Bourbon vetiver es sential oil (BVEO) was attempted by oxidation and reduction reactions to obtain odorous sesquiterpenic alcohols. Oxidation of this sesquiter penic fraction of BVEO with m-chloroperbenzoic acid afforded three new oxidized products, including a zizaene monoepoxide and two diepoxides derived from zizanene and valencene. Reduction reaction of sesquiterp enic epoxides of BVEO led to three sesquiterpenols, including two ziza nol epimers and an epoxialcohol derived from valencene, which have bee n synthesized in high yields (85-100%). Structural determination of th ese derivatives followed from one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscop y and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques.