Characterization of male goat odors: 6-trans nonenal.

Solvent extraction and nitrogen degassing were employed to collect volatile odors from the lipid complex yielded by swabbing the sebaceous gland areas of the scalps of sexually active bucks from four breeds of goats. Gland tissue samples from freshly slaughtered bucks and does also were obtained for lipid analysis. Identified as the major compound responsible for one of the characteristic odors of the buck was 6-trans nonenal . Isolation of the compound as its 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazone was achieved by column and thin-layer chromatography. Tentative identification was based on comparison with known compounds by argentation thin-layer chromatography, retardation factors for the 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazone derivatives, and gas-liquid chromatography retention times of regenerated compounds. The presence of other nonenals suggests that the compound may be formed by oxidation of the gland lipids. The odor of the male goat in rut often is implicated as a source of the " goaty " flavor problem in fresh goat milk. When added to goat milk, 6-trans nonenal yielded a significant melon- musky flavor response from the flavor panel; the " goaty " flavor response was more significant for added 4-ethyl octanoic acid, 4-methyl octanoic acid, and 4-ethyl oct-2-enoic acid.