COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION OF ESSENTIAL CLOVER FLOWER OILS FROM AUSTRIA USING GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY FLAME IONIZATION DETECTION, GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY, AND GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY OLFACTOMETRY

The essential oils of red and white Austrian clover flowers (Trifolium pratense L. and Trifolium repens L.) were analyzed by GC-FID, GC-MS, and GC-olfactometry (GC-sniffing technique), More than 50 compounds we re identified in the samples. The main constituents (concentration hig her than 2%) of the investigated samples were maltol (8.2%), linalool (4.2%), 1-phenylethyl alcohol (3.2%), phenol (2.9%), phenylethyl aceta te (2.7%), acetophenone (2.4%), and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate (2.2%) for r ed clover flowers and maltol (5.3%), linalool (3.8%), phenol (3.6%), p henylethyl acetate (3.3%), and 2-phenylethyl alcohol (2.8%) for white clover flowers. The odor of these samples has been characterized, and a correlation compound/odor impression is given.