The application of spectroscopic techniques in combination with chemometrics for detection adulteration of some herbs and spices

This review presents the application of spectroscopic methods combined with chemometric techniques for the detection of adulterant in herbs and spices. As spectroscopic methods are simple, cheap and non-destructive, they seem to be an ideal analytical tool for fast characterization of examined samples. The coupling of spectroscopy with chemometrics provides a powerful tool for the studies of chemotaxonomic problems. These include taxonomic research, herbal drug development, quality control, process monitoring, counterfeit product detection, and geographical origin assessment – all of which are important in pharmaceutical and food industry. The aim of this article is to review the spectroscopic methods used in testing the authenticity of selected herbs and spices in combination with chemometric techniques, which confirms the origin of the product and distinguishes the adulteration of ingredients in herbal spices available on the food market. Based on the literature survey, it could be stated that IR and Raman spectroscopy, coupled with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA), are the most commonly used techniques for characterization of plant materials.