Optimized Isolation of Safranal from Saffron by Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) and Rotatable Central Composite Design-Response Surface Methodology (RCCD-RSM)
Panagiota-Kyriaki Revelou,
Spyridoula Mouzoula,
Marinos Xagoraris,
Haralambos Evangelaras,
George K. Papadopoulos,
Christos S. Pappas,
Petros A. Tarantilis
Affiliations
Panagiota-Kyriaki Revelou
Laboratory of Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Spyridoula Mouzoula
Laboratory of Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Marinos Xagoraris
Laboratory of Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Haralambos Evangelaras
Department of Statistics and Insurance Science, University of Piraeus, 80 Karaoli & Dimitriou St., 18534 Piraeus, Greece
George K. Papadopoulos
Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Christos S. Pappas
Laboratory of Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Petros A. Tarantilis
Laboratory of Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Safranal is the main aroma component of saffron stigmas. It is also a great antioxidant with known pharmacological properties and is a potent indicator for the grading and authentication of saffron. In this study, the optimum extraction conditions of safranal from saffron stigmas were investigated using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) and response surface methodology (RSM). A rotatable-central composite design was applied, and a linear regression model has been used for the model building. The optimized factors were as follows: sample weight (15 mg), water volume (4 mL), exposure time in the headspace (20 min), and extraction temperature (45 °C). All factors were found significant; however, extraction temperature and exposure time were the most important for the isolation of safranal. The obtained model was successfully validated with a test set of saffron samples analyzed under the optimum extraction conditions. The optimized SPME extraction conditions of safranal found in this study contribute to the efforts towards the detection of saffron authentication and adulteration.
