Species identity <strong>in</strong> plant<strong>at</strong>ionsBecause veget<strong>at</strong>ive propag<strong>at</strong>ion wasnot developed until recently, all of<strong>the</strong> early buchu plant<strong>at</strong>ions wereestablished us<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dividualseedl<strong>in</strong>gs and <strong>the</strong>re has often beengre<strong>at</strong> confusion regard<strong>in</strong>g geneticidentity of many plant<strong>at</strong>ions [6] .In particular, A. crenul<strong>at</strong>a and <strong>the</strong>hybrid A. betul<strong>in</strong>a x crenul<strong>at</strong>a plantsare practically identical, even beyond<strong>the</strong> seedl<strong>in</strong>g stage.To add to this confusion, <strong>the</strong> two phenotypically <strong>in</strong>dist<strong>in</strong>guishable chemotypes of A. betul<strong>in</strong>a (adiosphenol and an isomenthone chemotype), with drastically different essential oil compositions, areoften found mixed <strong>in</strong> plant<strong>at</strong>ions.These factors, toge<strong>the</strong>r with competitive behaviour of some oil distillers and <strong>the</strong> lack of sufficientanalytical facilities, have caused gre<strong>at</strong> confusion regard<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> production of <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual species andchemotypes of buchu oil. Many a farmer has ended up with a beautiful field of cultiv<strong>at</strong>ed A. crenul<strong>at</strong>aplant m<strong>at</strong>erial <strong>in</strong>stead of <strong>the</strong> more valuable A. betul<strong>in</strong>a th<strong>at</strong> he <strong>in</strong>tended to cultiv<strong>at</strong>e, ditto regard<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>chemotypes of A. betul<strong>in</strong>a.Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, <strong>the</strong>se confusions have even filtered through to <strong>the</strong> oil market with <strong>the</strong> result th<strong>at</strong> eventoday some of <strong>the</strong> largest traditional users of buchu oil for flavour and fragrance applic<strong>at</strong>ions havespecific<strong>at</strong>ions for ‘Betul<strong>in</strong>a buchu oil’, which is <strong>in</strong> fact obta<strong>in</strong>ed from A. crenul<strong>at</strong>a, or worse a ‘secret’mixture of A. betul<strong>in</strong>a and A. crenul<strong>at</strong>a.The species buchu oil th<strong>at</strong> a client requires is sometimes not mentioned <strong>at</strong> all, thus putt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> onus on<strong>the</strong> distiller to exhaustively m<strong>at</strong>ch a specific client’s specific<strong>at</strong>ion. Even when ‘Betul<strong>in</strong>a buchu oil’ isrequested, <strong>the</strong> chemotype is never known until a sample is approved. Clearly this situ<strong>at</strong>ion is not ideal.<strong>Int</strong>erest<strong>in</strong>gly, it is our experience th<strong>at</strong> very rarely are pure forms of ei<strong>the</strong>r chemotypes of A. betul<strong>in</strong>arequired.There is currently no ISO standard for buchu oil(s), and only general CAS and FEMA numbers (CAS:68650-46-4; FEMA: 2169) are assigned to ‘Buchu oil’, represent<strong>in</strong>g all <strong>the</strong> various types and speciesof buchu oil available.Essential oil chemistryModern gas-chrom<strong>at</strong>ographic analyses have made <strong>the</strong> identific<strong>at</strong>ion of <strong>the</strong> exact species / chemotypeof buchu plant m<strong>at</strong>erial a rout<strong>in</strong>e exercise.A. betul<strong>in</strong>a (both chemotypes), A. crenul<strong>at</strong>a and A. betul<strong>in</strong>a x crenul<strong>at</strong>a essential oils all conta<strong>in</strong>nearly <strong>the</strong> same chemical components, but <strong>in</strong> gre<strong>at</strong>ly vary<strong>in</strong>g amounts:• The ma<strong>in</strong> flavour contributors <strong>in</strong> buchu oils are <strong>the</strong> unique high-boil<strong>in</strong>g 8-mercapto-pmenthan-3-one(FEMA 3177) isomers and <strong>the</strong>ir acet<strong>at</strong>es, 8-acetylthio-p-menthan-3-one(FEMA 3809) [4,7,8] .101
• O<strong>the</strong>r major components <strong>in</strong> buchu oils, p<strong>in</strong>ene (α- and β-), myrcene, d-limonene,menthone/isomenthone, ocimene, l<strong>in</strong>alool, pulegone and diosphenols play m<strong>in</strong>or, but not<strong>in</strong>significant, roles <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> organoleptic properties of buchu oils.It is only <strong>the</strong> gre<strong>at</strong>ly vary<strong>in</strong>g concentr<strong>at</strong>ions of diosphenols vs. menthone/isomenthone th<strong>at</strong> sets <strong>the</strong> oilsof <strong>the</strong> different chemotypes of A. betul<strong>in</strong>a apart. Both, however, owe <strong>the</strong>ir uniquely buchucharacteristic organoleptic properties to <strong>the</strong>ir 8-mercapto-p-menthan-3-one isomer content (for whichbuchu is <strong>the</strong> only botanical source of this important sulphur conta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g high-impact aroma chemical).By GC (FID) analysis, commercial A. betul<strong>in</strong>a essential oils are generally characterised by rel<strong>at</strong>ivelylarge amounts of d-limonene, menthone/isomenthone or diosphenols (0-45% comb<strong>in</strong>ed Ψ-diosphenoland diosphenol and/or menthone/isomenthone with <strong>the</strong> rel<strong>at</strong>ive concentr<strong>at</strong>ion of one, <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> expense of<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r), rel<strong>at</strong>ively small amounts of pulegone (typically