IDENTIFICATION AND ISOTOPIC ANALYSIS OF SAFRANAL FROM SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION AND ALCOHOLIC EXTRACTS OF SAFFRON

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices. Consequently, it is not s o difficult to understand that fraudulent saffron exists. Thus,it was interesting to study the most important flavouring component, in terms of aroma, volatile compound of saffron safranal - by C-13 isotopic an alysis. Five saffron samples from different countries have been analys ed. Safranal has been extracted by methanol or by Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE). The results indicate that there is a significant dif ference between the synthetic safranal and the natural one. On the con trary, it is difficult to conclude on the difference between the vario us geographical origins, as the isotopic variations are small. Moreove r, it has been found that Supercritical Fluid Extraction allowed the s elective extraction of volatile compounds from saffron under optimised conditions. It is a cleaner and faster method of extraction compared to the extraction using organic solvent. Nevertheless, an isotopic fra ctionation occurs in relation to the extraction yield of safranal.