Liquid chromatographic determination of scopoletin in hydroalcoholic extract of oak wood and in matured distilled alcoholic beverages.

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method is described for determination of the coumarins esculin, umbelliferone, scopoletin, and 4-methyl umbelliferone in hydroalcoholic extracts of oak wood and in matured distilled alcoholic beverages. Samples were injected directly into the LC column (30 cm, 5 micron C18) and detected by fluorescence detector. Under these experimental conditions, only scopoletin (detection limit, 200 pg) was found in hydroalcoholic oak wood extracts and in spirits matured in oak wood. Applications of this method to spirits distilled from wine, grain, and sugar cane aged in oak barrels showed that amounts varied from 0.026 to 1.57 ppm.