Pharmacognosy Department, College of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El Aini St., P.B. 11562, Cairo, Egypt; Chemistry Department, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
Phytochemistry and Plant Systematics Department, Division of Pharmaceutical Industries, National Research Centre, PO Box 12622, Cairo, Egypt.
Food Chem. 2020 Nov 30;331:127358. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127358. Epub 2020 Jun 20.
Saffron, stigmas of Crocus sativus, is one of the most precious spices used as food colorant and flavoring agent. Due to its scarce source and high cost, it is liable to fraudulent admixture with allied plants "safflower and calendula". In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to determine authenticity, adulterants detection, and to assess the roasting impact on its aroma. A total of 93 volatiles were identified belonging to different classes viz. aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatics, mono-and sesquiterpenes, oxides/ethers and pyrans/furans. Principle component analysis (PCA) identified safranal and 2-caren-10-al as discriminatory volatile markers of saffron from its allied flowers, later found enriched in estragole, β-caryophyllene and eugenol. PCA model also revealed markers for freshly dried versus long-stored saffron, with ketoisophorone as freshness marker versus safranal as an ageing indicator. Safranal was further identified as a marker to distinguish saffron from safflower, whereas calendula aroma was predominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons.
藏红花，即番红花的柱头，是一种用作食品着色剂和调味剂的最珍贵香料之一。由于其稀缺的来源和高昂的成本，它很容易与相关植物“红花和金盏花”掺假。在这项研究中，采用气相色谱-质谱联用（GC-MS）技术来确定其真实性、检测掺杂物，并评估烘焙对其香气的影响。共鉴定出 93 种挥发性化合物，属于不同类别，如醛、醇、酮、脂肪族烃、芳烃、单萜和倍半萜、氧化物/醚和吡喃/呋喃。主成分分析（PCA）确定了藏红花醛和 2-蒈烯-10-醇为藏红花与其相关花卉的区别性挥发性标志物，后来发现它们在大茴香脑、β-石竹烯和丁香酚中的含量丰富。PCA 模型还揭示了新鲜干燥与长期储存的藏红花之间的标志物，其中酮异佛尔酮为新鲜标志物，藏红花醛为老化指标。藏红花醛进一步被鉴定为区分藏红花和红花的标志物，而金盏花的香气则以单萜烃为主。
