Saffron, obtained from the dried red stigmas of Crocus sativus L. flowers, is the most expensive spice in the world and it is widely used with different aims: as a drug in medicine, also due to antitumor activity, as for colouring and flavouring foods. The very high price is justified by the manual harvesting practice. Its main characteristic compounds are crocins, picrocrocin and safranal and their evaluation is subjected to ISO/TS-3632 standard as quality parameters. Within the frame of COST Action FA1101 "Omics Technologies for Crop Improvement, Traceability, Determination of Authenticity, Adulteration and Origin in Saffron" special emphasis was given to NMR studies of the metabolite content of saffron to address authenticity and quality aspects. In this presentation chemometric studies applied to NMR based saffron analysis are given. Geographical origin discrimination was easily achieved. A successful discrimination among fresh and aged samples of the same and different origins was obtained. NMR demonstrated also capability in detecting different types of Sudan dyes and different plant tissues in adulterated saffron samples.
NMR spectroscopic studies in saffron authenticity and quality control within the frame of SAFFRONOMICS (Cost action FA1101).
R Consonni;L R Cagliani;
2014
Abstract
Saffron, obtained from the dried red stigmas of Crocus sativus L. flowers, is the most expensive spice in the world and it is widely used with different aims: as a drug in medicine, also due to antitumor activity, as for colouring and flavouring foods. The very high price is justified by the manual harvesting practice. Its main characteristic compounds are crocins, picrocrocin and safranal and their evaluation is subjected to ISO/TS-3632 standard as quality parameters. Within the frame of COST Action FA1101 "Omics Technologies for Crop Improvement, Traceability, Determination of Authenticity, Adulteration and Origin in Saffron" special emphasis was given to NMR studies of the metabolite content of saffron to address authenticity and quality aspects. In this presentation chemometric studies applied to NMR based saffron analysis are given. Geographical origin discrimination was easily achieved. A successful discrimination among fresh and aged samples of the same and different origins was obtained. NMR demonstrated also capability in detecting different types of Sudan dyes and different plant tissues in adulterated saffron samples.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
