Detection of saffron adulteration with Crocus sativus style using NIR-hyperspectral imaging and chemometrics

Saffron is a valuable spice that is often adulterated. This study proposes using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) and chemometrics as a fast and cost-effective method for detecting and quantifying adulteration in saffron stigmas. Adulterated saffron samples were prepared by adding Crocus sativus style to pure saffron stigmas in varying concentrations (20–90%). The spectral data were pre-treated using standard normal variate (SNV), and multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), while variable reduction was performed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares (PLS). Classification was done using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), PLS-DA, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP) models, while quantification was achieved by PLS, PCA, SVM, and MLP-based regression models. The HSI technique achieved correct classification rates of 95.6%–100% in discriminating authentic saffron from plant adulterants and adulterated saffron across all the models. Regression models to quantify the percentage style adulteration in saffron demonstrated excellent prediction abilities with almost all models achieving RPD (Residual Predictive Deviation) values of 3.0–5.4. The MLP model (1 hidden layer with 3 neurons) built from SNV pre-processed and PLS reduced data (15 LVs), showed exceptional predictive capabilities, with an R2p of 0.97, a Root Mean Squared Error of Prediction (RMSEP) of 4.3%, and an RPD of 5.4. The results demonstrate the potential of NIR-HSI and chemometrics for rapid and nondestructive detection and quantification of style in saffron stigmas.