Bergamot GCMS (Bergaptene Free)

[amateurperfumer]

I came across a GCMS for BF Bergamot and thought I would compile and post it:

Limonene – 36.31%
Linalyl acetate – 33.28%
Linalool – 12.03%
Gamma terpinene – 6.47%
Beta pinene – 6.05%
Alpha pinene – 1.02%
Myrcene – 0.85%
Citral – 0.60% (Geranial – 0.38%, Neral – 0.22%)
Sabinene – 0.56%
Para cymene – 0.49%
Neryl acetate – 0.30%
Geranyl acetate – 0.26%
Octyl acetate – 0.14%
1,8 Cineol – 0.13%
Beta phellandrene – 0.13%
Beta caryophyllene – 0.12%
Octanal – 0.09%
Beta ocimene – 0.07%
Linalool oxide – 0.07%
Terpinolene – 0.07%
Ctronellol – 0.05%
Alpha terpinene – 0.05%
Delta 3 Carene – 0.04%
Alpha thujene – 0.04%
Cis sabinene hydrate – 0.03%
Alpha bisabolene – 0.03%
trans alpha bergamotene – 0.02%
Geraniol – 0.02%
Alpha fenchene – 0.02%
Camphene – 0.02%
Alpha phellandrene – 0.02%
Gamma terpinyl acetate – 0.02%
Beta bisabolene – 0.02%
Isoterpinolene – 0.01%
Pseudolimonene – 0.01%
Nonanal – 0.01%
Nerol – 0.01%
Limonene oxide – 0.01%
Camphor – 0.01%
Alpha terpineol – 0.01%
Gamma terpineol – 0.01%
Decanal – 0.01%
Linalyl propionate – 0.01%
Hodiendiol derivative III – 0.01%
cis alpha Bergamotene – 0.01%
Beta farnesene – 0.01%

Total – 99.55%

 

[Bill Roberts]

Great post!

For comparison my personal favorite bergamot was reported by EB to have this GC/MS:

Limonene 40.6
Linalyl acetate 20.7
Linalool 17.9
gamma-Terpinene 8.1
beta-Pinene 5.3
alpha-Pinene 1.07
Sabinene 1.02
para-Cymene 0.96
Myrcene 0.92
alpha-Terpineol 0.74
Terpinolene 0.38
Neryl acetate 0.32
Geranyl acetate 0.30
octyl-Acetate 0.05
alpha-Thujene 0.28
(E)-beta-Ocimene 0.24
Caryophyllene(E-) 0.21
beta-Bisabolene 0.19[
alpha-Terpinene 0.16
alpha-trans-Bergamotene 0.10

 

[pkiler]

Side by side:

-amateurperfumer --------------------------------------------Bill Roberts Eden Botanicals

Limonene – 36.31%		Limonene 40.6
Linalyl acetate – 33.28%		Linalyl acetate 20.7
Linalool – 12.03%		Linalool 17.9
Gamma terpinene – 6.47%		gamma-Terpinene 8.1
Beta pinene – 6.05%		beta-Pinene 5.3
Alpha pinene – 1.02%		alpha-Pinene 1.07
Myrcene – 0.85%		Myrcene 0.92
Citral 0.60% (Geranial 0.38%, Neral 0.22%)
Sabinene – 0.56%		Sabinene 1.02
Para cymene – 0.49%		para-Cymene 0.96
Neryl acetate – 0.30%		Neryl acetate 0.32
Geranyl acetate – 0.26%		Geranyl acetate 0.30
Octyl acetate – 0.14%		octyl-Acetate 0.05
1,8 Cineol – 0.13%
Beta phellandrene – 0.13%
Beta caryophyllene – 0.12%		Caryophyllene(E-) 0.21
Octanal – 0.09%
Beta ocimene – 0.07%		(E)-beta-Ocimene 0.24
Linalool oxide – 0.07%
Terpinolene – 0.07%		Terpinolene 0.38
Ctronellol – 0.05%
Alpha terpinene – 0.05%		alpha-Terpinene 0.16
Delta 3 Carene – 0.04%
Alpha thujene – 0.04%		alpha-Thujene 0.28
Cis sabinene hydrate – 0.03%
Alpha bisabolene – 0.03%
trans alpha bergamotene – 0.02%		alpha-trans-Bergamotene 0.10
Geraniol – 0.02%
Alpha fenchene – 0.02%
Camphene – 0.02%
Alpha phellandrene – 0.02%
Gamma terpinyl acetate – 0.02%
Beta bisabolene – 0.02%		beta-Bisabolene 0.19
Isoterpinolene – 0.01%
Pseudolimonene – 0.01%
Nonanal – 0.01%
Nerol – 0.01%
Limonene oxide – 0.01%
Camphor – 0.01%
Alpha terpineol – 0.01%		alpha-Terpineol 0.74
Gamma terpineol – 0.01%
Decanal – 0.01%
Linalyl propionate – 0.01%
Hodiendiol derivative III – 0.01%
cis alpha Bergamotene – 0.01%
Beta farnesene – 0.01%
Total – 99.55%

 

[parker25mv]

Para cymene – 0.49%

I've smelled a sample of para cymene and it doesn't really smell that good, like an "oxidized" flat sour version of limonene. (and halfway in odor quality between the two enantiomers of limonene) maybe even sort of sour feel in a skunky like way, a bit pungent
I just don't want anyone to think that's important to the smell. (or at least I'm not sure it's a desirable smell)

Nonanal

Nonanal is just C-9 aldehyde and doesn't really strongly specifically smell like much, though it contributes a citric "juiciness" effect. Somewhat waxy reminiscent of rose petals as well (mostly because of its waxiness). Being an aldehyde, it adds a "brightness" and "sparkle".

Neryl acetate

Neryl acetate smells great, it's like the transparent background in citrus blossom, leaning more towards orange and lemon, but it's not really any particular variety of citrus specifically.


Myrcene - this is hard to describe. woody, somewhat floral, like a varnish but smells better than a varnish. a bit dry but almost has a grandma potpourri effect. I also get a grey feeling from this, a bit like bergamot tea. sort of the dry scratchy feel part of pomelo peel. the dryness has some nose-turning sourness as well.

Citral - opaque lemony, juicy, very lightly sweet.
Be aware though that citral can degrade (acid-catalyzed) over time and develop a very off skunky smell.

 

[fragrantregard]

I've smelled a sample of para cymene and it doesn't really smell that good, like an "oxidized" flat sour version of limonene. (and halfway in odor quality between the two enantiomers of limonene)
I just don't want anyone to think that's important to the smell.

I don't know who gets to say what is "important" or "unimportant" to smell. Nor why, just because you don't think it smells good, you think it's unimportant to smell. It is "important" to smell as much as possible. I know on this you agree. Let us try not to discourage others from doing so. Sharing your personal odor descriptions -- as you often do -- can be useful for helping those with less experience and a fixed budget determine what to buy, and in what order. It is best to not rely on personal value judgements, however, when assessing the usefulness of a material.

Cymene is used when doing reconstitutions. SO if your goal is a reconstituted bergamot, as seems to be the subject of this thread, it may indeed be important to smell it.

It is rather pungent as you say, and useful (though not crucial) in approximating the natural.

 

[Bill Roberts]

Thank you fragrantregard!

I just bounced my eyes back and forth to compare and your organized representation is way better.

For myself on whether an item is important, if it's reported as only medium odor strength and its concentration is towards the vanishing end and its claimed characteristics don't jump out to me as a touch that is needed, I tend to guess not.

Here, with fragrantregard's table, I spotted for the first time that the EB a more alpha-thujene and E-alpha-bergamotene but given the above I decided they probably don't explain the EB as standing out to me. Thankfully for my wallet.

I do find para-cymene to be one of those things that can make character difference in quite small amounts, as can E-beta-ocimene. (Racemic beta-ocimene does not substitute!) Whether p-cymene is an important difference here I can't say. I do have a planned project, for some time but still undone, to find how to dress up a good other bergamot to seem like that particular EB so maybe will know in future.

 

[fragrantregard]

delete

 

[Bill Roberts]

Oops! Well I will blame on reading from the phone

Thank you Paul!

 

[giftmischer]

Some test reports from the shelf:

https://www.planttherapy.com/mm5/#testReports

Maybe it is interesting to note that a sample of the reconstitution with number 136 of the great 'F' contained (TIC): camphene (0.1%), beta pinene (3.1%), myrcene (2.6%), limonene (25.6%), ocimene (2%), terpinolene (0.1%), linalool (21.8%), linalyl acetate (39.0%), alpha terpineol (0.4%), alpha terpinyl acetate 0.9%), neryl/geranyl acetate, citral, nerol/geraniol, ethylene brassylate (~0.3%).

Good read: P.Krafts 'Scent and Chemistry' book pages 232-233.