Determination of α-pinene and octyl acetate contents in Boswellia serrata

OBJECTIVE: To establish method for determining the contents of alpha-pinene and octyl acetate in Boswellia serrata, in order to provide preference for making quality standards for B. serrata and processed B. serrata. METHOD: Application of orthogonal design was employed to optimize the solvent, solvent quantity and extraction time. The GC-MS analysis was performed on a Rxi-5ms silica capillary column, running in the electron impact (EI) mode, with ion trap and injector temperature of 200 degrees C and 250 degrees C, respectively. The column oven was initially 50 degrees C and was held for 1 min after injection, followed by temperature ramping at 5 degrees C x min(-1) up to 130 degrees C, holding for 1 min. 1 microL of samples solution were injected in the split mode (1:60). Helium was the carrier gas. The mass spectrometer was set to scan m/z 45450 with an ionizing voltage at 70 eV. RESULT: Sample solutions were prepared for 50-fold dose by ultrasonic extraction with hexane for 30 min. The content of alpha-pinene and octyl acetate in 10 batches of B. serrata were 0.021 3-0.149 5, 2.519 6-9.098 0 mg x g(-1), respectively. And, those of alpha-pinene and octyl acetate in processed B. serrata were 0.015 9-0.065 9, 0.801 0-12.812 2 mg x g(-1). CONCLUSION: The method is a stable and reliable for determining the contents of alpha-pinene and octyl acetate in B. serrata.