Origin identification of Phoebe zhennan and Phoebe bournei by SPME-GC-MS

Abstract Phoebe zhennan S. Lee (Lauraceae) and Phoebe bournei (Hemsl.) Yang are favored for their fine-grain, insect resistance, special fragrance, not easily cracked and deformed, which had been widely used in furniture and construction. Due to the difference in wood quality characteristics and economic value of genus Phoebe species from different origins, it is important to establish a fast, efficient, and reliable method to identify the origin of Phoebe zhennan and Phoebe bournei. Solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) was used as sample preparation approach and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was employed to analyze the volatile compounds qualitatively. As a result, a total of 40 volatiles were identified by SPME-GC-MS among Phoebe zhennan samples from four origins, while 35 substances identified among Phoebe bournei samples. Significant difference was detected in the volatiles of Phoebe zhennan from different origins except for Guizhou and Yunnan. However, the wood samples of Phoebe bournei from all three origins could be discriminated by GC-MS spectroscopy. This finding indicated that genus Phoebe species from different origins had different chemical composition, which verified that the SPME-GC-MS technique can be used to identify different species of wood with characteristic compounds.