TY - JOUR

T1 - Further spectral and chromatographic studies of ambergris

AU - Rowland, Steven

AU - Sutton, Paul

AU - Belt, Simon

AU - Fitzsimmons-Thoss, Vera

AU - Scarlett, Alan

PY - 2018/11

Y1 - 2018/11

N2 - Jetsam ambergris, found washed ashore on beaches, is an environmentallymodified form of a natural product of Sperm whales which sometimesdevelops a pleasant odour. Odorous samples have proved valuable inperfumery. Identification of jetsam ambergris by analysis of organicsolubleextracts by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) and ofderivatised samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)has already been shown. Here, we describe a different method, in whichcharacteristic alkenic protons and carbon atoms of the major constituentambrein, were identified in whole extracts using nuclear magneticresonance spectroscopy (NMR). The advantages of employing NMRspectroscopy included rapidity, reduced losses of volatiles comparedto GC-MS and detection of non-GC amenable constituents. However,the identities and quantities of co-occurring individual components(e.g. steroids) could not easily be assigned in the unfractionated extractsby NMR spectroscopy, whereas they were by GC-MS, so an approachcombining FTIR, GC-MS and NMR spectroscopic methods is advocated.

AB - Jetsam ambergris, found washed ashore on beaches, is an environmentallymodified form of a natural product of Sperm whales which sometimesdevelops a pleasant odour. Odorous samples have proved valuable inperfumery. Identification of jetsam ambergris by analysis of organicsolubleextracts by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) and ofderivatised samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)has already been shown. Here, we describe a different method, in whichcharacteristic alkenic protons and carbon atoms of the major constituentambrein, were identified in whole extracts using nuclear magneticresonance spectroscopy (NMR). The advantages of employing NMRspectroscopy included rapidity, reduced losses of volatiles comparedto GC-MS and detection of non-GC amenable constituents. However,the identities and quantities of co-occurring individual components(e.g. steroids) could not easily be assigned in the unfractionated extractsby NMR spectroscopy, whereas they were by GC-MS, so an approachcombining FTIR, GC-MS and NMR spectroscopic methods is advocated.

U2 - 10.1080/14786419.2018.1428599

DO - 10.1080/14786419.2018.1428599

M3 - Article

VL - 32

SP - 2603

EP - 2609

JO - Natural Product Research

JF - Natural Product Research

SN - 1478-6419

IS - 21

ER -