Abstract: In order to develop a chemical fingerprint-based method for the identification of Xiangxi natural savory vinegar, its ultraviolet spectral fingerprint characteristics were investigated. The extraction of characteristic components was carried out using a vacuum rotary evaporator at 50 ℃ and a vinegar-to-water ratio of 1:5 (V/V). Vinegar samples were scanned with a ultraviolet spectrometer in the range of 200－350 nm, and the similarity of ultraviolet spectra was calculated. The results indicated that the similarities among the ultraviolet spectra of three different vinegar samples from the same production batch ranged from 0.976 to 0.986 and were reproducible. Similarities between 0.975 and 0.985 were found among the ultraviolet spectra of vinegar samples produced on 5 different dates with good stability. The similarities among the ultraviolet spectra of Xiangxi natural savory vinegar and other 4 kinds of vinegar were all below 0.9 and specific. These results suggest that the ultraviolet spectrum of Xiangxi natural savory vinegar has specific fingerprint characteristics.

Key words: Xiangxi natural savory vinegar, ultraviolet spectrum, chemical fingerprint profile