The methanolic extract obtained from rose flowers was subjected to XAD-2 adsorption chromatography. Prefractionation of the methanolic eluate using multilayer coil countercurrent chromatography (MLCCC) yielded five subfractions. From the least polar subfraction V, a major amount of the key odorants of rose oil, that is, isomeric rose oxides 1a/b, was liberated upon heat treatment at pH 2.5. Further chromatographic workup of ...