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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Food Composition and Methods Development Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #284931
Title: Differentiating organic from conventional peppermints using chromatographic and flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprints

Author
item GAO, BOYAN - University Of Maryland
item QIN, FANG - University Of Maryland
item Chen, Pei
item SHI, HAIMING - Shanghai Jiaotong University
item LIANGLI, LUCY YU - University Of Maryland

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2012
Publication Date: 12/15/2012
Citation: Gao, B., Qin, F., Chen, P., Shi, H., Liangli, L. 2012. Differentiating organic from conventional peppermints using chromatographic and flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprints. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 60:11987-11994.

Interpretive Summary: Ten organic and ten conventional peppermint samples were examined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprinting methods. The fingerprints of the peppermint samples were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that both HPLC and FIMS fingerprints could differentiate the commercial organic and conventional peppermints. FIMS fingerprinting method only took 1 minute per sample which provided a rapid test to differentiate organic and conventional peppermints, and has potential for high-throughput applications. On the other hand, HPLC fingerprints provide more information about the chemical composition of the samples, but take longer time to differentiate organic and conventional peppermint samples.

Technical Abstract: High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprinting techniques were tested for their potential in differentiating organic and conventional peppermint samples. Ten organic and ten conventional peppermint samples were examined using HPLC-UV and FIMS methods. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed that both HPLC and FIMS fingerprints could determine the difference in the commercial organic and conventional peppermints. FIMS fingerprinting provided a rapid test to differentiate organic and conventional peppermints in 1 min analysis, and has potential for high-throughput applications. On the other hand, HPLC fingerprints provide more information about the chemical composition of the samples, but take longer to differentiate organic and conventional peppermint samples.