Enantiodifferentiation of α-ketols in sherry by one- and two-dimensional HRGC techniques

The enantiomeric distrubution of solerone (5-oxo-4-hexanolide) 1, ethyl 4-hydroxy- 5-oxohexanoate 2, ethyl 5-hydroxy-4-oxohexanoate 3, 4-oxo-5-hexanolide 4, and solerol (5-hydroxy-4-hexanolide) 5 in sherry wines was determined by several HRGC techniques. While gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on chiral cyclodextrin phases (chiral GC-MS) prevented any racemization of α-ketols 2 and 3 caused by keto-enol tautomerization during analysis, multidimensional gas chromatography MDGC (coupled either by “live-T” switching or by “moving column stream switching” MCSS) led to rearranged constitutional-and stereoisomers. The stereochemical results are discussed regarding the biogenesis of sherry constituents 1–5.