Quantification of selected furocoumarins by high-performance liquid chromatography and UV-detection: capabilities and limits.

The performance of HPLC-UV as a means of quantifying selected furocoumarins in essential oils has been evaluated, based on a ring test validation approach. Accuracy profiles were generated, to determine bias and statistical confidence associated with determination at different concentrations, along with lower limits of quantification (LOQ). From these findings, it can be concluded that the method described may only be used in simple cases (essential oils), to measure individual furocoumarin compounds at concentrations greater than 10mg/l; the non compound-specific nature of detection by absorption in the UV range is unable to overcome the effect of interferences arising from chromatographic coelutions, such as those encountered in the analysis of complex commercial fragrance mixtures. The use of an algorithmically calculated 'spectral similarity' function, with reference to authentic standards, may be used to improve reliability in assignment and quantification.

GC-MS quantification of suspected volatile allergens in fragrances. 2. Data treatment strategies and method performances.

The performances of the GC-MS determination of suspected allergens in fragrance concentrates have been investigated. The limit of quantification was experimentally determined (10 mg/L), and the variability was investigated for three different data treatment strategies: (1) two columns and three quantification ions; (2) two columns and one quantification ion; and (3) one column and three quantification ions. The first strategy best minimizes the risk of determination bias due to coelutions. This risk was evaluated by calculating the probability of coeluting a suspected allergen with perfume constituents exhibiting ions in common. For hydroxycitronellal, when using a two-column strategy, this may statistically occur more than once every 36 analyses for one ion or once every 144 analyses for three ions in common.