Identification and sensory evaluation of 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate in wine

Florian Kiene; Niël van Wyk; Claus Patz; Andrii Tarasov; Vicky Bäumer; Christoph Schüßler; Rainer Jung; Christian von Wallbrunn; Isak S. Pretorius; Doris Rauhut

doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.5c12053

Identification and sensory evaluation of 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate in wine

Florian Kiene
, Niël van Wyk
, Claus Patz
, Andrii Tarasov
, Vicky Bäumer
, Christoph Schüßler
, Rainer Jung
, Christian von Wallbrunn
, Isak S. Pretorius
, Doris Rauhut

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Two new polyfunctional thiols, 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate (3SHP) and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate (3SHB), were detected in wines, synthesized as reference standards, and their sensory properties were characterized. Fermentations supplemented with short-chain fatty acids (propionic acid and butyric acid) generated 3SHP and 3SHB, which were confirmed by GC-MS using synthetic standards. Analysis of commercial wines from Scheurebe, Sauvignon blanc, and Verdejo further verified the presence of 3SHP and 3SHB, reporting their first identification in wines to our knowledge. To determine the influence of these esters on wine aroma, their odor threshold values (detection and recognition thresholds) were identified. Here, both compounds were described with grapefruit, passionfruit and tropical fruit descriptors. Although concentrations in many commercial samples were below sensory detection thresholds, synergistic sensory interactions with other polyfunctional thiols to the tropical wine aroma can be assumed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4693-4702
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume	74
Issue number	5
Early online date	30 Jan 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c12053
Publication status	Published - 11 Feb 2026

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2026. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

aroma
esters
Sauvignon blanc
Scheurebe
thiols

Access to Document

10.1021/acs.jafc.5c12053

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 3.07 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{bc38ac42ca7a400391a82d6e6191a874,

title = "Identification and sensory evaluation of 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate in wine",

abstract = "Two new polyfunctional thiols, 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate (3SHP) and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate (3SHB), were detected in wines, synthesized as reference standards, and their sensory properties were characterized. Fermentations supplemented with short-chain fatty acids (propionic acid and butyric acid) generated 3SHP and 3SHB, which were confirmed by GC-MS using synthetic standards. Analysis of commercial wines from Scheurebe, Sauvignon blanc, and Verdejo further verified the presence of 3SHP and 3SHB, reporting their first identification in wines to our knowledge. To determine the influence of these esters on wine aroma, their odor threshold values (detection and recognition thresholds) were identified. Here, both compounds were described with grapefruit, passionfruit and tropical fruit descriptors. Although concentrations in many commercial samples were below sensory detection thresholds, synergistic sensory interactions with other polyfunctional thiols to the tropical wine aroma can be assumed.",

keywords = "aroma, esters, Sauvignon blanc, Scheurebe, thiols",

author = "Florian Kiene and \{van Wyk\}, Ni{\"e}l and Claus Patz and Andrii Tarasov and Vicky B{\"a}umer and Christoph Sch{\"u}{\ss}ler and Rainer Jung and \{von Wallbrunn\}, Christian and Pretorius, \{Isak S.\} and Doris Rauhut",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2026. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher. ",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1021/acs.jafc.5c12053",

language = "English",

volume = "74",

pages = "4693--4702",

journal = "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry",

issn = "0021-8561",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identification and sensory evaluation of 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate in wine

AU - Kiene, Florian

AU - van Wyk, Niël

AU - Patz, Claus

AU - Tarasov, Andrii

AU - Bäumer, Vicky

AU - Schüßler, Christoph

AU - Jung, Rainer

AU - von Wallbrunn, Christian

AU - Pretorius, Isak S.

AU - Rauhut, Doris

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2026. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2026/2/11

Y1 - 2026/2/11

N2 - Two new polyfunctional thiols, 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate (3SHP) and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate (3SHB), were detected in wines, synthesized as reference standards, and their sensory properties were characterized. Fermentations supplemented with short-chain fatty acids (propionic acid and butyric acid) generated 3SHP and 3SHB, which were confirmed by GC-MS using synthetic standards. Analysis of commercial wines from Scheurebe, Sauvignon blanc, and Verdejo further verified the presence of 3SHP and 3SHB, reporting their first identification in wines to our knowledge. To determine the influence of these esters on wine aroma, their odor threshold values (detection and recognition thresholds) were identified. Here, both compounds were described with grapefruit, passionfruit and tropical fruit descriptors. Although concentrations in many commercial samples were below sensory detection thresholds, synergistic sensory interactions with other polyfunctional thiols to the tropical wine aroma can be assumed.

AB - Two new polyfunctional thiols, 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate (3SHP) and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate (3SHB), were detected in wines, synthesized as reference standards, and their sensory properties were characterized. Fermentations supplemented with short-chain fatty acids (propionic acid and butyric acid) generated 3SHP and 3SHB, which were confirmed by GC-MS using synthetic standards. Analysis of commercial wines from Scheurebe, Sauvignon blanc, and Verdejo further verified the presence of 3SHP and 3SHB, reporting their first identification in wines to our knowledge. To determine the influence of these esters on wine aroma, their odor threshold values (detection and recognition thresholds) were identified. Here, both compounds were described with grapefruit, passionfruit and tropical fruit descriptors. Although concentrations in many commercial samples were below sensory detection thresholds, synergistic sensory interactions with other polyfunctional thiols to the tropical wine aroma can be assumed.

KW - aroma

KW - esters

KW - Sauvignon blanc

KW - Scheurebe

KW - thiols

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105029918904

UR - https://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/CE200100029

U2 - 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c12053

DO - 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c12053

M3 - Article

C2 - 41617641

AN - SCOPUS:105029918904

SN - 0021-8561

VL - 74

SP - 4693

EP - 4702

JO - Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

JF - Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

IS - 5

ER -

Identification and sensory evaluation of 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate in wine

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

COESB: ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology

Cite this

Identification and sensory evaluation of 3-sulfanylhexyl propionate and 3-sulfanylhexyl butyrate in wine

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

COESB: ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology

Cite this