Review of the analytical techniques for sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene lactones

In this paper the analytical techniques of about the last 2 decades for sesquiterpenes including their lactones are reviewed. For sesquiterpenes, methods like GC, GC–EI-MS, GC–CI-MS, GC–MS–MS, GC–FT-IR, GC–UV, GC–AES, 13C-NMR, PY–GC–MS, HPLC, HPLC–TSP, SFE, SFC, SFC–UV are available, GC combined with MS is the most widespread. Sesquiterpene lactones can be analysed by HPLC, HPLC–TSP, HPLC–APCI, HPLC–ESI, HPLC–PB, HPLC–NMR, SFC, MEKC, GC, GC–MS, TLC and OPLC. Here HPLC is the method of choice. The usefulness of the individual methods are briefly discussed.