Colombini, M.P., Bonaduce, I., & Gautier, G. 2003 Molecular pattern recognition of fresh and aged shellac.. Chromatographia 58(5/6): 357-364.

Notes: Two GC-MS procedures for the characterization of shellac, a resin from Kerria lacca widely used in the field of art, were developed. One procedure was based on pyrolysis assisted by the hexa-methyldisilazane reaction on-line with GC-MS and the other on the saponification of the sample assisted by microwave followed by GC-MS analysis. The former is a rapid and valuable method for resin identification and the latter gives a more in depth understanding of its composition. Butolic, aleuritic and its derivative acids together with typical sesquiterpenoid compounds were the main molecules identified and used as markers for the molecular pattern recognition of the resin in fresh and old samples (19th century shellac from the Salvemini Collection and gilding samples from the 15th century frescoes of the Duomo of Monza).