GC/MS Analysis of Polymethoxyflavones in Citrus Oils

Abstract

The cold pressed peel oils of three species of citrus fruit, viz. sweet orange, tangerine, and grapefruit, have been examined for polymethoxyflavones by GC and GC-MS. Four GC column stationary phases were compared and separation of the six predominant orange oil polymethoxyflavones was obtained isothermally at 310°C in under ten minutes, including the resolution of the polymethoxyflavones from β-sitosterol. The nature of the stationary phase and the analysis temperature exercise dramatic effects on the resolution and elution order of the components, DB-35ms providing the best overall separation. A temperature programmed separation is also presented and the polymethoxyflavone composition of all three oils, as determined by GC-MS, is described. This is the first reported GC-MS study of the PMFs of these citrus species. While tangerine oil is as rich in polymethoxyflavones as orange oil, they are less abundant and occur at lower concentrations in grapefruit oil. Hydroxy-polymethoxyflavones were identified by GC-MS in tangerine oil. One hydroxy-pentamethoxyflavone, M+ = 388, identified in tangerine was also present at low levels in both orange and grapefruit oils. These results are compared with previous studies utilizing HPLC and GC.