Determination of furocoumarins in essential oils

Abstract

In this study, phototoxic furocoumarins were detected in various essential oils to provide aromatherapy-related safety information. p-Chlolorobenzophenone was employed as an internal standard in a selected ion monitoring mode for the detection of phototoxic compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). To ensure the precise detection and determination of certain phototoxic compounds, including psoralen, xanthotoxin, bergapten, and isopimpinellin, as well as a non-phototoxic coumarin, aurapten, in the same GC-MS analysis, nine mass ions were selected. Among a total of 116 kinds of commercially available essential oil products, furocoumarins were detected in four Apiaceae and nine Rutaceae oils. Aurapten, on the other hand, was detected in six Rutaceae oils.