Zhou, P., Braell, P.A. and Acree, T.E. 1986.
Use of thin layer chromatography to design a liquid chromatographic separation scheme for .beta.-damascenone precursors in grapes.
Chem. Sep., Dev. Sel. Pap. Int. Conf. Sep. Sci. Technol., 1st 1: .
Thin layer chromatography, TLC, is a quick method to optimize liquid chromatographic separations only when it is combined with appropriate 'visualization' techniques. A bioassay, called charm analysis, utilizing the sensitivity of human odor detection, is a selective way to visualize the odor-active chemical B-damascenone and its precursors in extracts of fruit. Using this technique five hundred femtograms of B-damascenone were detected in extracts of the grape Vitis labruscana Bailey, CV Concord. This paper describes the use of reversed phase and amino bonded silica gel TLC to isolate the non-volatile B-damascenone precursors from extracts of grapes. TLC plates were used to optimize solvent systems for each liquid chromatographic purification step. Use of amino-bonded silica LC and TLC provided the final separation of B-damascenone precursors from other constituents of Concord grapes.