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 as well as in aromatic remedies were analyzed by gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The small Indian civet secretion consisted of civetone, dihydrocivetone and normuscone as main components. The contents of chemical constituents were different between male and female secretion. Civetone (23.6 ± 1.5 µg/mg of secretion) was identified as the major constituent in the female secretion and normuscone (52.1 ± 5.9 µg/mg of secretion) was in that of male small Indian civet. Both civetone and normuscone were also found in civet furs but not in the feces. All aromatic remedies with small Indian civet secretion ingredient in the label showed both civetone and normuscone but the quantity were different. 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 precision was evaluated by the intra-day and inter-day RSDs of the three concentrations which were less than 8%. LOD and LOQ for civetone were 0.0087 and 0.0165 µg/mg of secretion and for normuscone were 0.0596 and 0.1154 µg/mg of secretion respectively. Civetone and normuscone could be used as qualitative and quantitative markers 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.