Carvone

Carvone is a naturally occurring monoterpene ketone with two mirror-image forms that smell distinctly different: one evokes spearmint, the other caraway.

Enantiomer: One of two stereoisomers that are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other. Carvone’s two forms are enantiomers with different aromas.
Monoterpene: A terpene built from two isoprene units, typically containing ten carbon atoms. Carvone’s carbon skeleton places it among monoterpenes.
Caraway: A flowering plant whose aromatic seeds are used as a spice and contain carvone-rich essential oil. Caraway seed oil is a familiar natural source of one carvone aroma.
Flavoring: A substance added to food to create, modify, or strengthen its taste or aroma. Carvone is used to provide spearmint or caraway notes in foods.
Carvone enantiomers: The (R)-(-) and (S)-(+) mirror-image forms of the molecule carvone. The two forms are associated chiefly with spearmint and caraway aromas, respectively.
Stereochemistry: The study of the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in molecules and its effects on their properties. Carvone’s handedness changes how its molecules interact with smell receptors.
Ketone: An organic compound containing a carbonyl group bonded to two carbon-containing groups. Carvone’s defining functional group is a ketone.
Spearmint: A mint species whose leaves contain essential oil rich in (R)-(-)-carvone. Spearmint supplies the enantiomer associated with its characteristic scent.
Perfumery: The art and practice of composing fragrances from aromatic materials. Carvone contributes minty or spicy facets to fragrance compositions.
Limonene enantiomers: The mirror-image forms of limonene, a cyclic monoterpene with different characteristic citrus odors. They show that odor differences between enantiomers are not unique to carvone.

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