title: PTR-TOF-MS and HPLC analysis in the characterization of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) from Italy and Iran.
abstract: Saffron samples from Italy and Iran were analyzed for their content in aroma and bioactive compounds with different analytical techniques. HPLC was used for the identification and quantification of crocins, picrocrocin, safranal and flavonoids content, while the novel proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer was employed for the aroma compounds analysis. Italian saffron turned out to be richer in total crocins and safranal contents. Sample characterization was performed with an unsupervised statistical approach; tests involving different numbers of parameters deriving from the two analytical techniques were performed. The results achieved showed that the best samples classification was obtained by joining the information acquired from both techniques; following such an approach, a sharper separation between Iranian and Italian samples was achieved. Finally, among the variables that most contribute to the description of variability, isophorone, safranal and picrocrocin were identified to be the most significant.
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente (DISPAA), Università di Firenze, P.le delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy. Electronic address: elisa.masi@unfi.it.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Masi
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente (DISPAA), Università di Firenze, P.le delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy. Electronic address: cosimo.taiti@unfi.it.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Taiti
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente (DISPAA), Università di Firenze, P.le delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy. Electronic address: daniela.heimler@unifi.it.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Heimler
authors: Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti" (DISIA), University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 59, 50134 Florence, Italy. Electronic address: Pamela.vignolini@unifi.it.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Vignolini
authors: Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti" (DISIA), University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 59, 50134 Florence, Italy. Electronic address: annalisa.romani@unifi.it.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Romani
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente (DISPAA), Università di Firenze, P.le delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy. Electronic address: stefano.mancuso@unifi.it.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Mancuso
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D027622:Crocus / Q000737:chemistry*; D007492:Iran; D007558:Italy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: Crocus sativus; Geographic discrimination; High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); Proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS); Saffron; Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)