Essential oil counterfeit identification through middle infrared spectroscopy

Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has been employed for a fast quality control of commercial essential oils from different plant species. 47 samples were obtained from Algerian and Spanish market and directly measured, without any previous treatment, by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), in the wavenumber region between 4000 and 550 cm−1. Pure essential oils were obtained by hydro- and steam-distillation extraction methods and their ATR spectra obtained. Results found evidenced the presence of solvents in some commercial formulations and permitted a rapid authentication of pure essential oils correctly extracted from those diluted. The proposed method offers a fast and environmentally friendly methodology which can be used as an alternative to the commonly employed chromatography methods to evidence the quality of commercial essential oils.