Study of Some Zanthoxylum Species by Chemical and DNA Analysis Approaches.

The authentication and traceability of spices is a major concern for industrials and consumers. We focused on species from Zanthoxylum genera which are used for many different applications by local populations and also for trading as spices (dried pericarps or whole fruits). In this case, literature gives contradictory data about botanical names, and commercial labelling is often confusing. We studied commercial fruits pericarps extracts obtained by supercritical CO2 and analyzed them by GC/MS. The very complex volatile and semi volatile fractions composition of each extract is described. The barcoding method including molecular biology and phylogenetic analyses was also developed in order to check the commercial botanical identification of the raw material. This is a robust method to identify species in berries samples. We used one genetic marker to identify two Rutaceae clusters, including several species of Zanthoxylum genus. These results indicate that Fagara and Zanthoxylum groups could be considered as two different genera. Combination of chemical analysis and DNA analysis provides an original approach to increase chemical and botanical Zanthoxylum genus knowledge.

Development of new natural extracts.

For over the past 20 years, a remarkable development in the study and search of natural products has been observed. This is linked to a new market trend towards ecology and also due to new regulations. This could be a rupture, but also a real booster for creativity. Usually, in the flavor and fragrance field, creativity was boosted by the arrival of new synthetic molecules. Naturals remained the traditional, century-old products, protected by secrecy and specific know-how from each company. Regulatory restrictions or eco-friendly certification constraints like hexane-free processes triggered an important brainstorming in the industry. As a result, we developed new eco-friendly processes including supercritical CO2 extraction, allowing fresh plants to be used to obtain industrial flower extracts (Jasmine Grandiflorum, Jasmine Sambac, Orange blossom). These extracts are analyzed by GC, GC/MS, GCO, and HPTLC techniques. New or unusual raw materials can also be explored, but the resulting extracts have to be tested for safety reasons. Some examples are described.

Purification of vetiver alcohols and esters for quantitative high-performance thin-layer chromatography determination in Haitian vetiver essential oils and vetiver acetates.

A simple, fast, and efficient High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed for the simultaneous quantitative determination of alcohols and acetates in Haitian vetiver essential oils (Chryzopogon zizanioides) and its acetylated form. Analytes were separated by using a mixture of n-hexane-chloroform-ethyl acetate (8:6:0.5, v/v/v) as mobile phase under 47% humidity. Quantification was achieved by densitometric evaluation of the analytes in absorbance mode under visible light (λ=530 nm) after staining with a vanillin-sulfuric acid reagent. Reference mixtures of alcohols and acetates were obtained by fractionation of Haitian vetiver oil or vetiver acetates, followed by purification of the fractions of interest by means of Over-Pressured Layer Chromatography (OPLC). The chemical composition of each reference fraction was determined by using GC-MS and GC×GC-MS, and their overall purity was determined by GC/FID and HPTLC. The TLC method provided compact spots for alcohols (R(f2)=0.18±0.01 and R(f1)=0.28±0.01) and acetates (R(f3)=0.65±0.01). Calibration plots showed good linear correlation with r²=0.9995±0.0001 and r²=0.9995±0.0001 for alcohols and r²=0.9996±0.0001 for acetates in a 40-200 ng spot⁻¹ concentration range with respect to peak areas. The method was validated for precision and accuracy. Limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were determined. Method specificity was confirmed using retention factor (R(f)) and GC-MS control of the standards reference mixtures.

Characterization of the chemical composition of a byproduct from siam benzoin gum.

The mixture of bark and gum obtained after size-grading of Siam benzoin gum was studied to establish its potential application as a valuable new grade of the balsamic resin. An analysis of its volatile constituents by means of static headspace and SPME led to the identification of 26 and 50 compounds, respectively. Significant differences were observed in both the headspace composition and olfactory properties of the byproduct as compared to those of Siam benzoin gum. This prompted the further analysis of its volatile extract and its resinoid by GC techniques, resulting in the identification of 60 (99.5%) and 16 (89.1%) components, respectively. To examine the influence of bark pieces, different extracts obtained from the raw material and from a sorted sample were analyzed by GC and HPLC techniques. The chemical compositions and the yields determined for the two resinoids lead to the conclusion that this harvesting byproduct is a new grade of Siam benzoin gum, providing interesting olfactory notes that differ from those of other grades.