Gas chromatography of safranal as preferable method for the commercial grading of saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

Monica Bononi; Paola Milella; Fernando Tateo

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.12.047

Gas chromatography of safranal as preferable method for the commercial grading of saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

Food Chem. 2015 Jun 1:176:17-21. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.12.047. Epub 2014 Dec 23.

Authors

Monica Bononi¹, Paola Milella², Fernando Tateo³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: monica.bononi@unimi.it.
² Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, S.P. per Casamassima, 70010 Valenzano, BA, Italy.
³ Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133 Milan, Italy.

PMID: 25624201
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.12.047

Abstract

We present a new extraction protocol, using ethyl alcohol as a solvent, to evaluate safranal by gas chromatography (GC). A linear response was obtained with R(2)=0.995 and a reproducibility standard deviation of 4.7-6.0%. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.05 and 0.25gkg(-1), respectively. The GC data for several samples of powdered saffron from different origins were compared to specific absorbance values measured according to the ISO Normative 3632-1:2011 method. The aroma strength of saffron samples quantitated by GC and the specific absorbance values of safranal by the UV method did not correlate. Quantitative evaluation of safranal by GC appears to be more specific and useful for commercial comparisons of saffron quality.

Keywords: GC; Saffron; Safranal; UV.

MeSH terms

Chromatography, Gas / methods*
Crocus / chemistry*
Cyclohexenes / chemistry*
Plant Extracts / chemistry*
Reproducibility of Results
Terpenes / chemistry*

Substances

Cyclohexenes
Plant Extracts
Terpenes
safranal