| Published Scientific Papers on Thujone |
Assessing the authenticity of absinthe using sensory evaluation and HPTLC
analysis of the bitter principle absinthin
by Dirk Lachenmeier
Food Research International Volume 40, Issue 1, January 2007, Pages 167-175
analysis of the bitter principle absinthin
by Dirk Lachenmeier
Food Research International Volume 40, Issue 1, January 2007, Pages 167-175
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Abstract
Absinthe is a spirit drink that owes its bitter taste to substances found in the wormwood plant (Artemisia absinthium L.). The prohibition
against absinthe has recently been annulled, giving rise to numerous inferior products that lack the organoleptic characteristics of
wormwood. The monoterpene thujone, which occurs in the essential oil fraction of wormwood, has previously been used as a marker
substance to confirm the authenticity of absinthe. However, thujone possesses adverse toxicological properties; thus modern
procedures have been developed to remove this substance from absinthe. In addition, thujone-free wormwood is also available from
certain cultivation areas.
This study is the first to use sensory evaluation of wormwood taste, louche effect, and bitterness in order to classify absinthes. This
study also introduces a simple, fast, and sensitive procedure using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) to assess
the levels of absinthin, a characteristic bitter substance found in wormwood. Results of this study demonstrate a strong correlation
between the concentration of wormwood and the organoleptically determined bitterness value (R = 0.75).
Absinthe is a spirit drink that owes its bitter taste to substances found in the wormwood plant (Artemisia absinthium L.). The prohibition
against absinthe has recently been annulled, giving rise to numerous inferior products that lack the organoleptic characteristics of
wormwood. The monoterpene thujone, which occurs in the essential oil fraction of wormwood, has previously been used as a marker
substance to confirm the authenticity of absinthe. However, thujone possesses adverse toxicological properties; thus modern
procedures have been developed to remove this substance from absinthe. In addition, thujone-free wormwood is also available from
certain cultivation areas.
This study is the first to use sensory evaluation of wormwood taste, louche effect, and bitterness in order to classify absinthes. This
study also introduces a simple, fast, and sensitive procedure using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) to assess
the levels of absinthin, a characteristic bitter substance found in wormwood. Results of this study demonstrate a strong correlation
between the concentration of wormwood and the organoleptically determined bitterness value (R = 0.75).
