Use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with resolution methods to characterize the essential oil components of Iranian cumin and caraway.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with iterative and non-iterative resolution methods was used to characterize the essential oil components of Iranian cumin and caraway. Orthogonal projection resolution (OPR) as a non-iterative and distance-selection-multivariate curve resolution-alternative least squares (DS-MCR-ALS) as an iterative method were used as auxiliary means to the analysis in the case of overlapping peaks. A total of 19 and 39 components were identified by direct similarity searches for cumin and caraway oils, respectively. These numbers were extended to 49 and 98 components, respectively with the help of chemometric techniques. Major constituents in cumin are gamma-terpinene (15.82%), 2-methyl-3-phenyl-propanal (32.27%) and myrtenal (11.64%) and in caraway are gamma-terpinene (24.40%), 2-methyl-3-phenyl-propanal (13.20%) and 2, 4(10)-thujadien (14.02%). In spite of different cultivation conditions, there are 28 components which are common between the two seeds.