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Detection of Essential Oil Adulteration Using High-Temperature Gas Chromatography with a Flame Ionization Detector
Michal Fulín1, Róbert Kubinec1, Jaroslav Blaško1
1Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Economically motivated adulteration of essential oils is common. A new high-temperature gas chromatography method (HTGC-FID) efficiently detects common adulterants like vegetable and mineral oils in essential oils.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Food Chemistry
Background:
- Essential oils are prone to adulteration with cheaper substances.
- Detecting high-boiling adulterants like vegetable and mineral oils is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a rapid high-temperature gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (HTGC-FID) method.
- To simultaneously determine triacylglycerides (vegetable oils) and medicinal white oil (mineral oil) in essential oils.
Main Methods:
- Utilized on-column injection with a DB-5 capillary column.
- Employed a temperature program from 60 to 380 °C with hydrogen carrier gas.
- Validated for linearity, repeatability, and sensitivity (LOQ 0.03% for triacylglycerides, 0.63% for medicinal white oil).
Main Results:
- The HTGC-FID method showed excellent linearity (R² = 0.9957-0.9978) and repeatability (RSD < 3%).
- Applied to 20 commercial essential oils, detecting triacylglycerides (up to 3.79%) and other adulterants (up to 52%).
- Medicinal white oil was not detected in the analyzed samples.
Conclusions:
- The developed HTGC-FID method is a simple, cost-effective, and efficient tool for routine quality control.
- Enables direct quantification of high-boiling adulterants without extensive sample preparation.
- Confirms significant adulteration in some commercial essential oil products.
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