Rapid Determination of Cinnamomum Species Using the DART QDa System with LiveID for Ground Spice Authenticity Testing

Importance of the Topic

The authentication of ground spices is critical to ensure consumer safety, product quality, and regulatory compliance. Cinnamon species vary in chemical composition, with true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) prized for its refined flavor and low coumarin content, whereas C. cassia is cheaper but rich in coumarin, a potential hepatotoxin at high levels. Rapid, reliable methods to distinguish these species and detect adulteration support food integrity and protect public health.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study aimed to develop and validate a fast, minimal-prep workflow using Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) coupled with a QDa mass detector and real-time chemometric modeling (LiveID software) to:

• Differentiate C. verum and C. cassia at the species level.
• Detect adulteration mixtures down to 10% substitution.
• Demonstrate method reproducibility across laboratories.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Ground cinnamon samples (authentic C. verum, C. cassia, and mixtures) were extracted with 50:50 ethanol–water, vortexed, sonicated, centrifuged, and cleaned by Oasis HLB SPE. Extracts were spotted (3 µL) onto QuickStrip cards and air-dried. DART ionization in positive mode (150 °C, He gas, 100–600 m/z) was interfaced to an ACQUITY QDa mass detector. Mass spectra (100–300 m/z) were acquired at 2 Hz, generating 12 replicate regions of interest per sample. LiveID software performed PCA for dimension reduction and LDA for supervised classification, using 10 principal and two discriminant components.

Used Instrumentation

• IonSense DART source
• Waters ACQUITY QDa Mass Detector
• MassLynx MS data system
• LiveID real-time chemometric software (v1.2)
• Oasis HLB SPE Cartridges (3 cc, 60 mg)
• QuickStrip sample cards

Main Results and Discussion

Chemometric modeling identified coumarin (147 m/z) and cinnamaldehyde (133 m/z), along with methyl cinnamate (163 m/z) and cinnamyl acetate (177 m/z), as key discriminators. PCA/LDA clustering produced four well-separated classes (C. verum, C. cassia, 50:50 and 10:90 mixtures) within a five-standard-deviation threshold. Cross-validation (“leave 20% out” and “leave one file out”) achieved 100% correct classification. Inter-laboratory testing on independently prepared extracts yielded accurate identification of C. verum (12/12) and C. cassia (10/12, two outliers). A commercial retail sample declared as C. cassia was classified with 100% confidence.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Ultra-fast screening: 12 samples in ~3 minutes.
• Minimal sample preparation and no chromatography.
• High accuracy and sensitivity to low-level adulteration.
• User-friendly LiveID interface for non-expert operation.
• Potential for point-of-control quality checks in production and supply chains.

Future Trends and Possibilities

Expansion of DART-QDa workflows to other spices and botanicals for broad-spectrum authenticity testing. Development of portable or field-deployable DART-MS platforms. Integration of advanced machine-learning algorithms for automated pattern recognition. Adoption of standardized workflows by regulatory and certification bodies to combat food fraud.

Conclusion

The DART QDa system combined with real-time LiveID chemometrics provides a robust, rapid, and reproducible solution for cinnamon species authentication and adulteration detection. This approach safeguards quality, ensures compliance, and can be readily extended to other food authenticity applications.

Reference

1. Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. Vol. I. Dover Publications; 1971.
2. Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung. Cassia cinnamon with high coumarin contents to be consumed in moderation; 2012.
3. Venter A, Nefliu M, Cooks RG. Ambient Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry. TrAC. 2008;27:284–290.