Integrated enantioselective GC-MS/FID analysis for comprehensive quality control of citrus essential oils

Ensuring the authenticity and quality of essential oils (EOs) is increasingly important due to the constant expansion of global market. Conventional gas chromatography (GC) is commonly used to assess EO composition based on the relative abundance of marker compounds. However, it does not provide information on the enantiomeric composition of chiral markers, which is crucial for detecting adulteration and verifying authenticity. This study investigates the application of enantioselective gas chromatography (Es-GC) with parallel MS/FID detection as a complementary tool for EO quality control. The Es-GC-MS/FID approach enables simultaneous determination of enantiomeric patterns and relative percentage abundance in a single run, avoiding the need for separate analyses. This approach offers further possibility to discriminate between authentic and adulterated EO samples and closely related EOs and to reveal subtle compositional discrepancies. The method provides reliable semi-quantitative data, improves efficiency and supports a more streamlined, cost-effective workflow.