Chemical Properties
2-Ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone has a sweet, fruity, caramel, butterscotch odor.
Chemical Properties
2-Ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone has been identified in, for example, coffee and melon. The
tautomer mixture is a clear slightly yellowish liquid, bp0.02 kPa 82–83°C, d204 1.137,
n20D 1.511 with sweet, caramel, fruity, bread-like odor.
Chemical Properties
Colorless to light yellow liqui
Occurrence
Reported found in soy sauce, Swiss cheese and melon, coffee, shoyu, strawberry and pineapple.
Definition
ChEBI: 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone is a member of the class of furans that is furan-3(2H)-one carrying additional ethyl, hydroxy and methyl substituents at positions 2, 4 and 5 respectively. A key aroma compound in soy sauce and fish sauce. It has a role as a Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite. It is a cyclic ketone, an enol and a member of furans.
Preparation
One commercially applied
synthesis is the condensation of 2-pentene nitrile with ethyl lactate followed by
oxidation of the intermediate 4-cyano-5-ethyl-2-methyldihydro-3(2H)-furanone
with monoperoxysulfate.
Aroma threshold values
Detection: 20 ppb
Taste threshold values
Taste characteristics at 20 ppm: burnt, caramellic, sweet and fruity
