The flowery smell of health and wellbeing - Identification and quantification of odor-active compounds in chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.)

洋甘菊（Matricaria chamomilla L.）是传统医学中最受欢迎的草药之一。在过去的几年中，不同的药理学和生理学作用已被阐明，包括抗氧化剂，抗菌，抗抑郁和抗炎活性。虽然如此重要，并以其特有的气味而闻名，但洋甘菊的气味活性物质作为其挥发性有机化合物的一部分，尚未得到全面研究。因此，很可能仍有物质有待发现。我们确实有迹象表明，高度气味有效的贡献者可能被埋在洋甘菊挥发性成分中的丰富物质之下，因为有丰富的成分，主要是倍半萜及其衍生物。这些芳香活性化合物中的一些可能远低于常见分析工具的检测极限。因此，我们的目标是在这个项目中的甘菊气味活性物质的表征，包括鉴定，定量和重组实验。这将通过应用综合的香气研究工具，使用人类感官评价结合气味分析方法来实现。具体而言，将使用提取和分离技术（如溶剂辅助风味蒸发）、色谱技术（如气相色谱法结合质谱/嗅觉测定法（一维和二维））、特定目标物质的制备富集和适当的定量程序（如稳定同位素稀释测定沿着其他分析技术）。进行重组实验，有助于洋甘菊整体香气的香气物质将得到充分表征。这些结果将支持研究人员处理未来的研究对洋甘菊成分的药理学，生理学或其他生物学效应。

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is one of the most popular herbal remedies used in traditional medicine. Over the past years, different pharmacological and physiological effects have been elucidated, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidepressant and anti-inflammatory activity. Although being of such importance and being renowned for its characteristic smell, the odor-active substances of chamomile, as part of its volatile organic compounds, have not been comprehensively studied. As a consequence, it is likely that there are substances still awaiting their discovery. We have indeed indications that highly odor-potent contributors might be buried underneath a wealth of substances within the volatile fraction of chamomile, since there is an abundance of constituents, mainly sesquiterpenes and their derivatives. Some of these aroma-active compounds may be well below the limit of detection of common analytical tools. Accordingly, we aim to characterize the odor-active substances of chamomile in this project, including identification, quantification and recombination experiments. This will be achieved by applying comprehensive aroma research tools using human sensory evaluation in combination with odorant-analytical methods. In particular, extraction and isolation techniques like solvent-assisted flavor evaporation, chromatographic techniques like gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry/olfactometry (one- and two-dimensional), preparative enrichment of specific target substances, and adequate quantification procedures e.g. stable isotope dilution assays along with other analytical techniques will be used. Carrying out recombination experiments, the aroma substances contributing to the overall aroma of chamomile will be fully characterized. These results will support researchers dealing with future investigations on the pharmacological, physiological or other biological effects of chamomile constituents.