Absolute Configurations of Zingiberenols Isolated from Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Rhizomes.

Two stereoisomeric zingiberenols in ginger were identified as (3R,6R,7S)-1,10-bisaboladien-3-ol (2) and (3S,6R,7S)-1,10-bisaboladien-3-ol (5). Absolute configurations were assigned by utilizing 1,10-bisaboladien-3-ol stereoisomers and two gas-chromatography columns: a 25 m Hydrodex-β-6TBDM and 60 m DB-5MS. The C-6 and C-7 absolute configurations in both zingiberenols match those of zingiberene present abundantly in ginger rhizomes. Interestingly, zingiberenol 2 has recently been identified as a male-produced sex pheromone of the rice stink bug, Oebalus poecilus, thus indicating that ginger plants may be a potential source of the sex pheromone of this bug.