Irones are a group of
methylionone odorants used in
perfumery
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...
, derived from
iris oil,
[Council of Europe, August 2007 ] e.g.
orris root. The most commercially important of these are:
* (-)-''cis''-γ-irone, and
* (-)-''cis''-α-irone
Irones form through slow
oxidation
Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...
of
triterpenoids
Triterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of three terpene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of six isoprene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squale ...
in dried
rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
s of the
iris species, ''
Iris pallida''. Irones typically have a sweet floral, iris, woody,
ionone, odor.
See also
*
Ionone
References
External links
{{commons category, Irones
Structure - Odor Relationships
Perfume ingredients
Ketones