Original Articles: 2011 Vol: 3 Issue: 5
Quantitative analysis of civetone and normuscone in secretion from Viverricula indica and in aromatic remedies by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Abstract
The quantitation of civetone and normuscone in small Indian civet (Viverricula indica Desmarest) secretion cultivated in Thailand was analyzed by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Three main chemical constituents of small Indian civet secretion were civetone, dihydrocivetone and normuscone. The contents of chemical constituents were different between male and female secretion. Civetone (23.6 ± 1.5 μg/mg of secretion) was a major chemical constituent in the female secretion while normuscone (52.1 ± 5.9 μg/mg of secretion) was a major in the male secretion. Both civetone and normuscone were found in civet fur but not in the feces. Aromatic remedies which claimed to use the small Indian civet secretion as an ingredient showed both civetone and normuscone. Linearity range of civetone was 0-50 μg/ml with a correlation coefficient of 0.9717, and of normuscone was 0-80 μg/ml with a correlation coefficient of 0.9965. The average recoveries were 97.3-98.0% in secretion and 91.4- 105.7% in aromatic remedy for civetone. For normuscone, average recoveries in secretion and aromatic remedy were 98.5 % and 90.0-103.0% respectively. The intra-day and inter-day RSDs of the three components were less than 8%. Civetone and normuscone could be used as quantitatively marker for civet secretion ingredient in aromatic remedies. Civetone and normuscone contents in commercial civet secretion varied crop by crop and depended on male to female sex ratio of the small Indian civets.