A rapid method for the determination of alkenylbenzenes in spices by gas chromatography - high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS)

Abstract

Alkenylbenzene is a group of natural toxins that can cause genetic damage and cancer in rodents. These toxins are found in high amounts in common spices such as pepper, basil, cinnamon, dill, and others. This study aimed to develop a method for measuring eight alkenylbenzenes (eugenol, methyl eugenol, acetyl eugenol, trans-isoeugenol, safrole, estragole, myristicin and trans-anethole) in various spices using gas chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC–HRMS) with a simple ultrasonic vibration sample extraction method. The method was validated according to AOAC standards. The method had detection and quantification limits of 0.05 mg/kg and 0.15 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery ranged from 90.1% to 107% and the repeatability (RSD) ranged from 1.00% to 6.60% for all eight compounds, meeting the AOAC requirements. The analysis of 90 different dried and fresh spice samples revealed that eugenol (1.86–3581 mg/kg), trans-anethole (0.89–45.6 × 103 mg/kg) and estragole (0.19-248 mg/kg) were the main alkenylbenzenes, while trans-isoeugenol (0.69–7.86 mg/kg) and safrole (0.15–0.42 mg/kg) were the minor ones.