Contribution of analytical chemistry to the study of styrax and benzoin botanical exudates.

For several resins, gaps in botanical classification and ambiguities in their designation induce difficulties to correlate with precision botanical species and chemical composition. It is the case of balsamic resins called styrax and benzoins, for which there are important linguistic, botanical and chemical confusions. This study by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) of several resinous samples made it possible to specify the chemical and botanical membership of these substances at the origin of many interrogations. It also provided interesting information about the ways to obtain or to transform the resinous matters while evoking the possibility of adulterations or confusions with dammar resin issued from geographically close vegetable species.