Detailed Profiling of the Volatile Oxygenated Fraction of Mandarin Essential Oils by Using the Off-Line Combination of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

The aim of the herein described research was the detailed analysis of the volatile oxygenated fractions of four genuine mandarin essential oils (green, yellow, red, and Mexican), by using the off-line combination of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC×GC-qMS). Detailed qualitative profiling was performed through a pre-separation (normal phase) HPLC process aimed at the isolation of the oxygenated compounds; the target fraction was then concentrated and subjected to cryogenically-modulated GC×GC-qMS analysis. The oxygenated constituents contribute most to the essential oil aroma and are also used for the evaluation of quality and genuineness. In such a respect, a deeper analytical view on the qualitative composition of such constituents is certainly useful. In fact, many compounds are herein related to mandarin essential oils for the first time.