Journal of Chemical Engineering & Process Technology
Open Access

Abstract

A metabolic study of calabrian bergamot essential oil using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

R A Salvino, G De Luca and C Aroulanda

Citrus Bergamia, also known as bergamot, it is a fruit belonging to the Rutaceae family which grows almost exclusively in the Calabrian strip coast between Villa San Giovanni and Gioiosa Jonica (Italy). It is mainly cultivated for the bergamot essential oil (BEO) extracted from the fruit peel, a high commercial raw substance which is widely employed in the international perfumery and cosmetics industries but also in pharmaceutical production thanks to its antiseptic and antibacterial properties. All the characteristics of BEO have been largely studied and related to the metabolite composition of the mixture. The characterization of BEO is essential to ensure its effectiveness in the various fields of application and, in particular, for the release of the “Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)” of “Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria – Olio essenziale “. Nowadays, the accepted instrumental methods used to asses the BEO quality and origin are the chromatographic techniques, but the scientific research is moving in the direction of new fast methodologies to better characterize this high values extract often subjected to fraud and sophistication. In this contribution, for the first time NMR spectroscopy was used on samples provided by the “Consorzio del Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria” in order to analyze (fingerprinting) the oil directly, without any treatment. 1D and 2D NMR experiments were recorded dissolving BEO in a common solvent for the metabolic characterization. Moreover, proton NMR spectra were recorded using benzoic acid as internal standard to perform a quantitative analysis of the main metabolites. Combining 1H-NMR spectra with statistical tools (PCA - Principal Component Analysis) and 2D NMR diffusion techniques, preliminary results on BEO samples adulterated with less expensive essential oils have been obtained.

Published Date: 2021-03-24; Received Date: 2021-02-11