Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction for identification of adulteration of black pepper with papaya seeds

Supercritical. fluid extraction (SFE) using carbon dioxide was used to detect the adulteration of black pepper powder with ground papaya seed. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of the SFE extracts showed a fluorescent band at 366 nm at R-f 0.172 that proved to be a promising marker for the presence of papaya seed powder in black pepper powder even at a level of 20 g kg(-1). The straight-chain aldehydes n-nonanal, n-decanal and n-dodecanal were tentatively identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis as components of this fluorescent marker and were not present in black pepper extracts. (C) 2003 Society of Chemical Industry.