Table 1.
Proposed odorants found in asparagus urine
| Compound | Reference |
| Methanethiola | Nencki (1891) |
| Methanethiol | Allison and McWhirter (1956) |
| Methanethiol | Waring et al. (1987) |
| Methanethiol | Leitner (2001) |
| 1-Propene-3-isothiocyante | Leitner (2001) |
| 3-Methylthiophene | Leitner (2001) |
| Bis-(methythio)methane | Waring et al. (1987) |
| Carbon disulfide | Leitner (2001) |
| Carbon oxide sulfide | Leitner (2001) |
| Dimethyl disulfide | Waring et al. (1987) |
| Dimethyl disulfide | Leitner (2001) |
| Dimethyl sulfide | Leitner (2001) |
| Dimethyl sulfide | Waring et al. (1987) |
| Dimethyl sulfone | Stevens (2007) |
| Dimethyl sulfone | Waring et al. (1987) |
| Dimethyl sulfoxide | Waring et al. (1987) |
| Dimethyl trisulfide | Stevens (2007) |
| Dimethyl trisulfide | White (1975) |
| E-methylthio-1-propene | Leitner (2001) |
| Hydrogensulfide | Leitner (2001) |
| Methylpropylsulfide | Leitner (2001) |
| S-methyl-2-propenthioate | Leitner (2001) |
| S-methyl-2-propenethioate | Stevens (2007) |
| S-methyl-3-(methylthio)thiopropionate | White (1975) |
| S-methyl-thioacrylate | White (1975) |
| Tetrahydrothiophene | White (1975) |
| Methanesulfonic anhydride | Stevens (2007) |
| Butyrolactone | Stevens (2007) |
| 1,4-bis(methythio)-butane | Stevens (2007) |
a
Also known as methyl mercaptan. 1,2-Dithiolane-4-carboxylic acid (asparagusic acid) is found in asparagus and may be the precursor to some of the sulfur metabolites listed above (Jansen 1948). The most common odorant detected in asparagus urine is methanethiol, listed at the top, followed by the other odorants in alphanumerical order.