Targeted Screening of Coumarins and Furanocoumarins in Essential Oils Utilizing High-Resolution Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Coumarins and Furanocoumarins are a compound class commonly found in fruit essential oils, such as citrus oil or bergamot oil. Previous research has found these compounds can be linked to phototoxic, mutagenic, or carcinogenic effects. Since this class of compounds is commonly found in essential oils, cosmetics, or bronzing products there is an emerging need to detect their presence to prevent unnecessary harm to the consumer. Currently GC-MS has shown a limited ability to analyze furanocoumarins due to their relatively polar or heat-liable substituents. During this study a LCMS QToF was used for the screening and identification of coumarins and furanocoumarins in essential oils.