Extraction of thymol, eucalyptol, menthol, and camphor residues from honey and beeswax. Determination by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection

J Chromatogr A. 2002 Apr 19;954(1-2):207-15. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(02)00153-x.

Abstract

A gas chromatographic method to determine thymol, eucalyptol (cineole), menthol and camphor residues in honey and beeswax is proposed. To isolate the compounds, three methods involving liquid-liquid extraction with methylene chloride, distillation, or solid-phase extraction on octadecylsilica cartridges can be used. The GC separation is carried out on a 60 m x 0.53 mm Stabilwax DA capillary column, using a flame ionization detector. The method is applied to the analysis of natural honey and also honey and beeswax samples from beehives treated with the above compounds.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Camphor / isolation & purification*
  • Chromatography, Gas / methods*
  • Cyclohexanols / isolation & purification*
  • Eucalyptol
  • Honey / analysis*
  • Menthol / isolation & purification*
  • Monoterpenes*
  • Reference Standards
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Terpenes / isolation & purification*
  • Thymol / isolation & purification*
  • Waxes / analysis*

Substances

  • Cyclohexanols
  • Monoterpenes
  • Terpenes
  • Waxes
  • Menthol
  • beeswax
  • Thymol
  • Camphor
  • Eucalyptol