The Famous Amazonian Rosewood Essential Oil: Characterization and Adulteration Monitoring by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Fingerprinting

Direct infusion of samples via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is shown to characterize unequivocally genuine samples of Amazonian Aniba rosaeodora Ducke (Rosewood) essential oils obtained either from the wood or leafs. The ESI-MS also distinguishes the essential oils from synthetic linalool; hence, adulteration by the synthetic oil is also clearly detected. The analysis requires no pretreatment or preseparation, and the most polar components of the essential oil are extracted with an acidified 1:1 methanol/water solution. This simple extract is then analyzed by direct infusion ESI-MS in the positive ion mode, which provides characteristic fingerprintings of the sample composition. The ESI-MS fingerprinting can be used therefore as a simple and fast (few minutes) method for authenticity and quality control of this famous Amazonian essential oil.