A facile synthesis of 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone [2- (or 5-) methyl 14C] (furaneol [2- (or 5-) methyl 14C])

A convenient one-step synthesis of 14C-labelled 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone (furaneol) was accomplished by a piperidine acetate catalyzed Maillard-type reaction of commercially available fucose L-[1-14C]. This important aroma compound found in strawberry fruits, obtained in ≥ 90 % radiochemical purity, should prove useful in in-vivo metabolism studies. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.