Carotenoid profile of sweet orange and mandarin essential oils

This study was carried out to determine the carotenoid composition of blond and pigmented sweet orange and mandarin essential oils. The oils were analysed after alkaline hydrolysis by RP-HPLC/PDA. Fourteen compounds, carotenes and xanthophylls, were identified. Sweet orange and mandarin oils have characteristic carotenoid profiles that could be used to detect the addition of sweet orange to mandarin essential oil.