Determination of Essential Oil Components of Star Anise (Illicium verum) Using Simultaneous Hydrodistillation–Static Headspace Liquid-Phase Microextraction–Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

In this study, the hydrodistillation–headspace solvent microextraction (HD-HSME) method was used for extraction and analysis of chemical components of star anise (Illicium verum). Effective parameters for HSME, such as the nature of the extracting solvent, headspace volume, particle size of the sample, and the extraction time, were studied and optimized, and the method's performance was evaluated. The chemical compositions of the HD-HSME and HD extracts were confirmed according to their retention indexes and mass spectra (EI, 70 eV), and quantitative analysis was performed by gas chromatography (GC)–flame ionization detection (FID). Using HD-HSME followed by GC-MS, 49 compounds were separated and identified in star anise, which mainly included trans-anethole (81.4.0%), limonene (6.50%), chavicol (2.10%), and anisaldehyde (1.81%). The results of HD-HSME followed by GC-MS, in comparison with traditional the hydrodistillation method, shows that the proposed method is simple, rapid, and efficient for the determination of volatile compounds in star anise.