Quantitative Determination and Characterization of a Kashmir Saffron (<i>Crocus sativus</i> L.)-Based Botanical Supplement Using Single-Laboratory Validation Study by HPLC-PDA with LC–MS/MS and HPTLC Investigations

Abstract

Food ingredients hold a higher nutritional value as a botanical supplement playing a vital role in modifying and maintaining the physiological conditions that improve human health benefits. The Kashmir saffron (<i>Crocus sativus</i> L; KCS) obtained from dried stigmas is known for its aroma precursors and apocarotenoid derivatives, imparting a wide range of medicinal values and therapeutic benefits. In the present study, a simultaneous determination of apocarotenoids and flavonoids in stigma-based botanical supplements was carried out using analytical investigations. The high-performance thin-layer chromatography-based qualitative analysis of the raw material (stigmas, stamens, and tepals) and stigma extract has been carried out to identify apocarotenoids and flavonoids. The rapid HPLC-PDA method for the simultaneous quantification of KCS apocarotenoids was robust, precise (<5.0%), linear (<i>R</i> ² > 0.99), and accurate (80-110%) as per the single-laboratory validation data. Furthermore, the combined-expanded uncertainty (95%; <i>K</i> = 2) was calculated and found as 0.0035-0.007% (<5.0%) as per the EURACHEM guide for this HPLC analysis. Additionally, an untargeted identification of 36 compounds in the botanical supplement was based on the elution order, UV-vis spectra, mass fragmentation pattern, and standards by ESI-MS/MS analysis with comprehensive chromatographic fingerprinting. Thus, these analytical approaches enable a composite profile of the stigma-based extract as a potential supplement for human health benefits.