Malays. J. Anal. Sci. Volume 29 Number 1 (2025): 1308

 

Research Article

 

Facile authentication of commercial vanilla extracts using simple chromatographic method

 

Amirah Maisarah Azarman 1, Hannis Fadzillah Mohsin1, Richard Johari James 1,2, and Nurhuda Manshoor1,3*

 

1Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor, Kampus Puncak Alam, 42300 Selangor, Malaysia

2Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute, Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor, Kampus Puncak Alam, 42300 Selangor, Malaysia

3Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Products Discovery, Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor, Kampus Puncak Alam, 42300 Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: nurhuda15@uitm.edu.my

 

Received: 10 September 2024; Revised: 28 October 2024; Accepted: 25 November 2024; Published: 1 February 2025

 

Abstract

The preparation of natural vanilla extracts involves the extraction of vanilla beans in a water-alcohol mixture, a process that is both costly and labor-intensive, compounded by the limited availability of vanilla beans. Consequently, the production of synthetic vanilla extracts is prevalent, increasing the potential for adulteration and counterfeit products in the market. A rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed for authenticating vanilla extracts, requiring minimal sample preparation and demonstrating an efficient runtime of 8 minutes with high precision and repeatability. This method was applied to 52 commercial vanilla extract products, comprising 32 liquids, 9 powder, and 11 paste formulations, which were further screened for coumarin presence. Among the samples, 23 were identified as authentic vanilla extracts, while 29 were determined to be synthetic flavorings, with four authentic samples containing ethylvanillin. No coumarin was detected in any of the samples. This HPLC method is well-suited for routine, high-throughput analyses, offering a reliable tool for laboratories requiring efficient screening of vanilla authenticity.

 

Keywords: Vanilla planifolia, flavour, adulteration, analysis, HPLC

 

References

1.        Sinha, A. K., Sharma, U. K., and Sharma, N. (2008). A comprehensive review on vanilla flavor: Extraction, isolation and quantification of vanillin and others constituents. In International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 59: 299-326.

2.        Hoffman, P. G., and Zapf, C. M. (2019). Handbook of Vanilla Science and Technology.

3.        Shen, Y., Han, C., Liu, B., Lin, Z., Zhou, X., Wang, C., and Zhu, Z. (2014). Determination of vanillin, ethyl vanillin, and coumarin in infant formula by liquid chromatography-quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry. Journal of Dairy Science, 97(2): 679-686.

4.        Lavine, B. K., Corona, D. T., and Perera, U. D. N. T. (2012). Analysis of vanilla extract by reversed phase liquid chromatography using water rich mobile phases. Microchemical Journal, 103: 49-61.

5.      Waliszewski, K. N., Pardio, V. T., and Ovando, S. L. (2007). A simple and rapid HPLC technique for vanillin determination in alcohol extract. Food Chemistry, 101(3): 1059-1062.

6.      da Silva Oliveira, J. P., Garrett, R., Bello Koblitz, M. G., and Furtado Macedo, A. (2022). Vanilla flavor: Species from the Atlantic forest as natural alternatives. Food Chemistry, 375: 131891.

7.      Santos, I. C., Smuts, J., and Schug, K. A. (2017). Rapid profiling and authentication of vanilla extracts using gas chromatography-vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy. Food Analytical Methods, 10(12): 4068-4078.

8.      Thompson, R. D., and Hoffmann, T. J. (1988). Determination of coumarin as an adulterant in vanilla flavoring products by high-performance liquid chromatography. Journal of Chromatography, 438: 369-382.

9.      de Jager, L. S., Perfetti, G. A., and Diachenko, G. W. (2007). Determination of coumarin, vanillin, and ethyl vanillin in vanilla extract products: liquid chromatography mass spectrometry method development and validation studies. Journal of Chromatography A, 1145(1-2): 83-88.

10.   Hazleton, L. W., Tusing, T. W., Zeitlin, B. R., Thiessen, R., and Murer, H. K. (1956). Toxicity of Coumarin. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 118(3): 348-358.

11.   Sproll, C., Ruge, W., Andlauer, C., Godelmann, R., and Lachenmeier, D. W. (2008). HPLC analysis and safety assessment of coumarin in foods. Food Chemistry, 109(2): 462-469.

12.   Morlock, G. E., Busso, M., Tomeba, S., & Sighicelli, A. (2021). Effect-directed profiling of 32 vanilla products, characterization of multi-potent compounds and quantification of vanillin and ethylvanillin. Journal of Chromatography A, 1652: 462377.

13.   Cicchetti, E., and Chaintreau, A. (2009). Quantitation of the main constituents of vanilla by reverse phase HPLC and ultra-high-pressure-liquid-chromatography with UV detection: Method validation and performance comparison. Journal of Separation Science, 32(17): 3043-3052.

14.   Kahan, S., Krueger, D. A., Berger, R., Filandro, A., Hageman, L. R., Korpinski, T., Lin, S., Lally, N. E., Parrish, M., and Schoen, K. L. (1997). Liquid chromatographic method for determination of vanillin and ethyl vanillin in imitation vanilla extract (Modification of AOAC official method 990.25): Collaborative study. Journal of AOAC International, 80(3): 564-570.

15.   Diaz-Bautista, M., Barrientos, F. M., Francisco, M. de los Á. S., Espinoza-Pérez, J., Reyes-Reyes, C., Soto-Hernández, M., Herrera-Cabrera, B. E., López-Valdez, L. G., Montiel-Montoya, J., and Barrales-Cureño, H. J. (2023). Quantification of vanillin in fruits of vanilla planifolia by high-resolution liquid chromatography. Letters in Applied NanoBioScience, 12(1): 15.