ANALYTICAL STUDY OF FREE AND ESTER BOUND BENZOIC AND CINNAMIC-ACIDS OF GUM BENZOIN RESINS BY GC-MS AND HPLC-FRIT FAB-MS

Sumatra benzoin resins originating from two species of Styrax were stu died using modern analytical techniques, Analysis of these types of re sins usually involves several steps including alkaline hydrolysis, der ivatization of the polar groups and chromatography, Two different resi ns, and three different qualities from each resin, were investigated u sing a fast analytical method which omits the hydrolysis step and make s it possible to identify all of the individual components of the resi n in one gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry measurement, Resins from both Styrax benzoin Dryand and S. paralleloneurum Perk contain free c innamic and benzoic acids and their corresponding esters with p-coumar yl and coniferyl alcohols, although in different relative amounts, Pin oresinol and some higher molecular weight esters of cinnamic and benzo ic acids were also found, The structure of these compounds was verifie d by high performance liquid chromatography-continuous flow fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, For quantitation, gas chromatography wi th flame ionization detection was performed, Molecular response factor s of the identified compounds were calculated as correction factors of the peak areas. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.