Headspace-solid-phase Microextraction (SPME) Analyses of Poliomintha longiflora and Lippia graveolens

Headspace-solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography analyses (HS-SPME-GC) of P. longiflora and L. graveolens using carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS), carboxen/divinylbenzene/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/DVB/PDMS) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated fibers were carried out as complementary or alternative methods for determining the principal light volatile components of these species. The best results were obtained with the non-polar PDMS-coated fiber (Figure 1). In the case of P. longiflora, α-terpinene, limonene, p-cymene, eucalyptol, γ-terpinene, carvacrol methyl ether and carvacrol were identified as the principal components. On the other hand, L. graveolens contained α-pinene, p-cymene, eucalyptol and β-caryophyllene as the major light volatiles. This approach can thus successfully be used as an alternative to the classical GC-MS analysis of the essential oil to rapidly characterize the main volatile components of both Origonum species.

Figure 1. Typical GC chromatogram of the light volatile components from P. longiflora leaves extracted and collected by headspace procedure. Peaks: α-thujene (1); α-sabinene (4); α-phellandrene (7); D-2-carene (8); α-terpinene (9); p-cymene (10); limonene (11); γ-terpinene (13); (Z)-sabinene hydrate (14); p-cymenene (15); terpinen-4-ol (16); α-terpineol (17); carvacrol methyl ether (18); bornyl acetate (20); carvacrol (21); β-caryophyllene (23); aromadendrene (24); germacrene D (25); germacrene A (26).

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by grant from DGAPA (IN218110).

References: [1] Rivero I, Duarte G, et al. (2011), J Food Science, in press.