Rapid monitoring of carvacrol in plants and herbal medicines using matrix solid-phase dispersion and gas chromatography flame ionisation detector

Matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) method coupled with gas chromatography flame ionisation detector as a quick and easy extraction technique has been developed to extract carvacrol from plants and herbal medicines. Influence of important parameters on the MSPD method efficiency, such as the sorbent material, the ratio of sample to sorbent material, elution solvent and volume of the elution solvent has been evaluated and optimised. Carvacrol was successfully extracted by diatomaceous earth as sorbent with 350 mu L of dichloromethane as elution solvent. The calibration curve showed good linearity (r(2)=0.9965) and precision (RSD<8.16%) in the concentration range of 0.5-100 mu gmL(-1) for carvacrol. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.1 and 0.5 mu gmL(-1), respectively. The recoveries were in the range of 74.4-80.5% with relative standard deviation (RSD) values ranging from 8.4% to 9.8%. The reported MSPD extraction method revealed to be simpler and faster than conventional methods used to quantify carvacrol from plants and herbal medicines.