Method to determine the authenticity of aroma of saffron (Crocus sativus L.).
A thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique was applied to 252 different Spanish saffron samples (from La Mancha and Teruel). The average safranal content made up of 60% of the volatile fraction of the saffron. All the chromatograms obtained showed an interval between 8 and 18 min (retention time of safranal +/- 5 min) in which the silhouette of the chromatographic peaks was similar in all the samples. Therefore this interval can be used as a "fingerprint." Two examples are given which demonstrate the ability to use this "fingerprint" to detect adulteration.
Alonso
G L
GL
Cátedra de Química Agrícola, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain. galonso@cita-ab.uclm.es
Salinas
M R
MR
Garijo
J
J
D053138:Cyclohexenes; D005506:Food Contamination; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019668:Liliaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D011786:Quality Control; D013729:Terpenes / Q000032:analysis*
D053138:Cyclohexenes; D013729:Terpenes; C087963:safranal