Saffron is one of the highest value food products and so often a target for adulteration. Carthamus tinctorius L. (safflower stamens), dyed stamens of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (lotus stamens) and stigmas of Zea mays L. (corn stigmas) have all been reported as bulking agents. In this paper (purchase required) the authors have developed a cheap and quick fluorescence probe which is selective to saffron and can be calibrated to detect dilution or bulking. The three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence uses a hydrophilic hydrazine-naphthalimide functionalized chitosan (HN-chitosan) polymer probe. The amino functional group in the HN-chitosan probe react specifically with the oxygen-containing group of active ingredients in saffron. The authors applied four advanced chemometrics methods for the classification of saffron and adulterated saffron, and reported good performance in both training and prediction sets. They successfully applied the PLS regression model to the prediction of adulteration levels in saffron. They conclude that this strategy provides a new solution for rapid identification and quantification of adulteration in saffron.
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