Quality assessment of the saffron samples using second-order spectrophotometric data assisted by three-way chemometric methods via quantitative analysis of synthetic colorants in adulterated saffron.
Saffron is a valuable culinary spice that can be used not only for dyes and cooking, but also for many medical purposes. Due to its high price and restriction of its production, various fraud manners in its production have been growing. Addition of synthetic colorants to saffron is the most common way for adulteration. In this work, chemometric methods are proposed to resolve the three-dimensional absorbance spectra-pH data for simultaneous determination of the two colorants Tartrazin and Sunset yellow, in adulterated saffron. The rank deficiency in the concentration mode impaired the system. Therefore, to extirpate the ambiguity, which results from rank deficiency, three-way variation array V was generated by subtracting the first pH spectrum from each spectrum at each pH. This allows the extraction of extent reaction profile and mixture reaction spectral profiles, as well as the relative concentrations of the analytes.
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran. Electronic address: masoum@kashanu.ac.ir.
Saeed
S
Masoum
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran.
Ali
A
Gholami
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran.
Marjan
M
Hemmesi
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran.
Saleheh
S
Abbasi
D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D027622:Crocus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D017365:Spices / Q000032:analysis*; D013645:Tartrazine / Q000032:analysis
D001391:Azo Compounds; D005505:Food Coloring Agents; C005842:6-hydroxy-5-((p- sulfophenyl)azo)-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid disodium salt; D013645:Tartrazine
Adulterated saffron; Synthetic colorants; Three-way chemometric methods; pH gradient