| Abstract: | Volatile components in the steam distillates from high and low moisture cocksfoot grass silages were determined using a mass spectrometer equipped with a g.l.c. employing f.i.d. A number of volatiles appeared in the silage distillates and the gas chromatograms of both silages showed similar patterns, but the number of peaks of the volatile components for the low moisture silage was greater than that of the high moisture silage. On the other hand, a small number of volatiles were found in the fresh grass distillate and the particular volatiles differed greatly from those found in silages. The silage distillates were separated into a number of fractions, the neutral fraction appeared to be the major fraction, and there was little difference between the total yields of volatile components in both silages. Among the volatiles, i-pentanol and 4-ethyl guaiacol were the major components in both silages, but cis-3-hexenal, p-cymene, δ-cadinene and ethyl oleate were found only in the low moisture silage. |
