Authentication of Bergamot Essential Oil by Gas Chromatography-Combustion-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (GC-C-IRMS)

The quality assessment of bergamot essential oils was established employing the gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GC-C-IRMS) technique. An authenticity range was obtained investigating the carbon stable isotope ratio of genuine Italian bergamot essential oils (harvest period 2008-2009), in order to compare the GC-C-IRMS data of several industrial, commercial and foreign bergamot essential oil samples. Moreover, with the aim to test the efficiency and the sensibility of IRMS device, self-adulterated in laboratory bergamot oil samples were analyzed. The data were compared with those achieved by conventional enantioselective gas chromatography (Es-GC) and high resolution gas chromatography (GC-FID). Results of this work indicated that GC-C-IRMS was able not only to detect the presence of adulterants in the samples, hut also to discriminate the bergamot oil samples according to their geographic provenance and the nature of the adulterants added.