Gas Chromatographic Method for Analysis of p-Synephrine in Citrus aurantium L. Products

A method has been developed and validated for the identification and quantification of p-synephrine in Citrus aurantium L. products. The approach comprises GC-FID analysis followed by GC-MS confirmation after clean-up by solid phase extraction with a strong cation-exchange phase and derivatization with cyclohexanone. Oxazolidine derivative of p-synephrine was subjected to analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1 and C-13 NMR), GC-FID and GC-MS. The GC method was validated and was found to be linear in the range of 125-500 mg%. Intra-day and inter-day precisions were 3.60 and 3.59%, respectively. Mean recovery from extract of C. aurantium was 78.1 +/- A 3.64%. The selectivity of the method was further improved by confirmation of oxazolidine derivative of p-synephrine by GC-MS.