Hi:

I know I've brought this subject up before but I just can't get over
it. I apologize profusely to those who might be annoyed. You may
notice some changes though.

I notice that many fruits [excluding apples & cantaloupes] emit foul
odors when ripe. What chemicals are responsible for this? I've done as
much research as I can on this but not gotten anywhere. This isn't a
homework assignment. I am asking these questions out of personal
interest.

I hate those odors. That why I like to eat apricots, peaches, and
similar fruits when they are sour, hard, and greenish. When sour,
hard, and greenish, most fruits smell pleasant. When they are too
ripe, they become excessively sweet, grossly-soft up and turn mucus
yellow; this is when they start to stink.

What causes those immeasurably-foul odors?

It could not be putricine. Putricine smells like rotting flesh, which
is also a foul odor but totally different from that of ripe fruits. To
my nose, over-ripe fruits don't have a smell that even nearly
resembles rotting flesh. Both are equally bad odors, though.

Its also not ethylene - a chemical used to speed ripening. Ethylene
has a sweet pleasant smell to it. I have smelled it myself in a lab.
It's beautiful.

Butyric acid smells like stinky cheese [including Swiss], smelly feet,
sweaty shirts, dirty socks, neck-sweat, back sweat, filthy scalp and
unwashed hair. So it definitely isn't butyric acid. In fact, since
these foul odors occur after ripening [a process which uses up the
acids]; I doubt that any acid or acidic substance is responsible for
the foul odor of ripe fruits.

I notice the stink especially in canned fruits. Most fresh fruits
don't have as much of a strong stink even when ripe. However, canned
fruits [often dripping in syrup] have an unbearable stench to me.
Maybe it is something to do with the sugar? I don't know. I do know
that it has nothing to do with the metals of the can or the effects of
the metals on the fruit/syrup. Perhaps the ripe substances are more
concentrated in the can, than when fresh.

Why do canned ripe fruits stink more badly than fresh ripe fruits?

Also, it can't be ethanol. I like the smell of ethanol.

I've asked similar questions in science newsgroups, and they think I
have an olfactory perception disorder causing me to perceive odors
differently from other humans. I don't believe this at all.

I've taken smell tests in my organic chemistry lab. I've takes organic
chemistry as a course in my college. Long list of chemicals I've gone
through. Still no answer to the stench of ripe fruits. In addition,
none of the chemicals I sniffed even remotely smell like ripe fruit.

My guess is the stink of ripe fruits is a result of a mixture of
different organic substances, excluding both the following chemicals
and their effects on other chemicals:

1. putricine [or any amines]

2. ethylene [sweet smell]

3. butyric acid [or any acid/acidic substance for that matter]

4. ethanol [sweet smell resembling most alcoholic beverages]

4. chemicals resulting from fungus

5. chemicals resulting from decomposition [including bacterial decay]

6. Hydrocarbons [compounds containing only Carbon and Hydrogen]

7. Alcohols [organic compounds with attached OH hydroxide molecule]

8. Chemicals that specifically result from -- or are affected by --
rancidity

9. Inorganic substances -- such as metals

10. Effects of inorganic substances on organic substances

I have tried tiresomely searching on google but there are no websites
that have an answer to my question.

Also, I've noticed that most ripe fruits do not have to be rotten in
order to give off the foul odors I sense. Simply being ripe causes the
odor.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

If this is out of your expertise would you please give me an idea of
who could answer my question?

No offense but please respond with reasonable answers & keep out the
jokes, off-topic nonsense, exaggerations, taunts, insults, and
trivializations. I am really interested in this.


I am 23 years old, free-of-brain-tumors, but have a neurological
disability called Asperger's Syndrome.

I would like to give you some information about my disability. The
reason I am posting this message about Asperger's is to help avoid any
potential misunderstandings [though it's probably too late].

I have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (AS). AS is a
neurological condition that causes significant impairment in social
interactions. People with AS see the world differently and this can
often bring them in conflict with conventional ways of thinking. They
have difficulty in reading body language, and interpreting subtle
cues. In my situation, I have significant difficulty with natural
conversation, reading social cues, and maintaining eye contact. This
can lead to a great deal of misunderstanding about my intent or my
behavior. For example, I may not always know what to say in social
situations, so I may look away or may not say anything. I also may not
always respond quickly when asked direct questions, but if given time
I am able express my ideas.

On Usenet, the text-equivalent of my disability is probably noticed. I
do apologize profusely, for any inconvenience it causes.

Thank you very much in advance for your understanding, cooperation,
and assistance.


Thanks,

Radium