Odor Components and the Control of Odor Development in Ornamental Cabbage

Ornamental cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var. acephala f. tricolor ) cultivars of Japanese seed companies are grown in Europe. Unpleasant odors from cut flowers have become a problem in this region. We investigated volatiles emitted from cut flowers of ‘Hatsubeni’ and ‘Haresugata’, two major Japanese ornamental cabbage cultivars in Europe, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Dimethyl disulfide was identified as the major odor-active component emerging from plants as well as from vase water. Vase water was a major source of unpleasant scents, and odor development was prevented by changing the water frequently. We tested the effects of potential suppressors of dimethyl disulfide emission from cut flowers applied to vase water. Cyprodinil, an inhibitor of the synthesis of dimethyl disulfide from methionine, and aminooxyacetic acid, an inhibitor of enzy-matic reactions involved in dimethyl disulfide biosynthesis, did not show any effects. In contrast, isothiazolinonic germicide, a cut-flower preservative, inhibited the rot of cut ends of flower stems and reduced dimethyl disulfide emission from cut flowers by 30–40%. In addition, this germicide significantly inhibited emissions from vase water. Isothiazolinonic germicide is a promising candidate inhibitor of unpleasant scents from cut flowers of ornamental cabbage.