Hydrodistillation-adsorption method for the isolation of water-soluble, non-soluble and high volatile compounds from plant materials

Proposed method of hydrodistillation–adsorption (HDA) on activated carbon and hydrodistillation (HD) with solvent trap were compared for the isolation of water-soluble, non-soluble and high volatile compounds, such as acids, monoterpenes, isothiocyanates and others from carob (Certonia siliqua L.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and rocket (Eruca sativa L.). Isolated volatiles were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The main advantages of HDA method over ubiquitous HD method were higher yields of volatile compounds and their simultaneous separation in three fractions that enabled more detail analyses. This method is particularly suitable for the isolation and analysis of the plant volatiles with high amounts of water-soluble compounds. In distinction from previously published adsorption of remaining volatile compounds from distillation water on activated carbon, this method offers simultaneous hydrodistillation and adsorption in the same apparatus.     

Volatile composition of Brassica oleracea L. var. costata DC leaves using solid‐phase microextraction and gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry

Volatile and semi‐volatile components of internal and external leaves of Brassica oleracea L. var. costata DC, grown under different fertilization regimens, were determined by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) combined with gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (GC/ITMS). Forty‐one volatiles and non‐volatile components were formally identified and thirty others were tentatively identified. Qualitative and quantitative differences were noticed between internal and external leaves. In general, internal leaves exhibited more aldehydes and sulfur volatile compounds than external ones, and less ketone, terpenes and norisoprenoid compounds. The fertilization regimens influenced considerably the volatile profile. Fertilizations with higher levels of sulfur produced Brassica leaves with more sulfur volatiles. In opposition, N and S fertilization led to leaves with lower levels of norisoprenoids and terpenes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution of Brassica rapa var. rapa L. volatile composition by HS-SPME and GC/IT-MS

Brassica rapa var. rapa L. (turnip) is highly appreciated and consumed by human. In this work, the volatile profile of B. rapa var. rapa was studied during the maturation process. The volatiles of seeds, sprouts with 6 and 9 days, and adult plant were determined using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography/ion trap-mass spectrometry (GC/IT-MS).Several constituents, including alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, norisoprenoids, nitrogen and sulphur compounds were characterized, totalizing 64 compounds. Isothiocyanates are the main volatiles in all matrices, being 3-butenyl isothiocyanate the major compound. Qualitative and quantitative differences were found among the analysed materials. Nitrogen and sulphur compounds decreased during the maturation process, while terpenes, aldehydes, norisoprenoids and ester compounds were present in higher amounts during germination, especially in sprouts with 9 days of development.     

Rapid Determination and Quality Control of Pharmacological Volatiles of Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) by Fast Gas Chromatography–Surface Acoustic Wave Sensor

Introduction: A novel analytical method using fast gas chromatography combined with surface acoustic wave sensor (GC-SAW) was developed for rapid determination of the pharmacological volatiles of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Methods: The volatile compounds in 20 turmeric samples, collected from different parts and different origins, were assessed by the fast GC-SAW. In addition, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to confirm the chemical composition of the main volatiles. The digital fingerprint of turmeric was established and analysed by principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Results: Curcumene (9.1%), β-sesquiphellandrene (5.1%) and ar-turmerone (69.63%) were confirmed as the main pharmacological volatiles of turmeric. The content of ar-turmerone in lateral rhizome turmeric was significantly higher than that of top rhizome and ungrouped turmeric. The contents of curcumene and β-sesquiphellandrene in top rhizome turmeric were higher than those in lateral and ungrouped turmeric. The 20 turmeric samples were divided into four categories, which reflected the quality characteristics of the turmeric from different parts and origins. Conclusion: The GC-SAW method can rapidly and accurately detect pharmacologically volatiles of turmeric, and it can be used in the quality control of turmeric.     

Phytochemical Investigation by Microwave‐Assisted Extraction of Essential Oil of the Leaves of Walnut Cultivated in Algeria

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) leaves are used traditionally as an herbal tea indicated for non‐insulin‐dependent diabetics. In recent years, the type‐II diabetes is occurring worldwide with increasing frequency. Thus, there is an urgent need to explore the new beneficial biomolecules on the human health. Our objective was to investigate, for the first time, the volatiles profile of Juglans regia L. leaves from Algiers region. The extraction of essential oil of fresh plant material was performed by microwave‐assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD), for the first time, a relatively recent method, then by the conventional hydrodistillation technique (HD) for comparison. The collected extracts were analyzed by GC‐FID and GC/MS using two capillary columns with different polarity. Extraction time of 1 h by MAHD provided higher yields (0.050±0.001% (w/w)) than by HD (0.030±0.006% (w/w)) after 3 h. A total of 38 compounds were identified using both techniques. Essential oils had similar qualitative but different quantitative composition in terms of chemical compounds. The MAHD method improved yield while reducing the extraction time. The sesquiterpenes were the dominant family in both MAHD and HD essential oils with β‐caryophyllene being the major constituent. Monoterpenes, including hydrocarbon and oxygenated, prevail in HD volatile fraction with β‐pinene and eucalyptol, respectively, as major components.     

Phytochemical screening and chemical variability in volatile oils of aerial parts of Morinda morindoides

Morinda morindoides is an important Liberian traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria, fever, worms etc. The plant was subjected to integrated approaches including phytochemical screening and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses. Phytochemical investigation of the powdered plant revealed the presence of phenolics, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, terpenes, steroidal compounds and volatile oil. Steam distillation followed by GC–MS resulted in the identification of 47 volatiles in its aerial parts: 28 were in common including various bioactive volatiles. Major constituents of leaves were phytol (43.63%), palmitic acid (8.55%) and geranyl linalool (6.95%) and stem were palmitic acid (14.95%), eicosane (9.67%) and phytol (9.31%), and hence, a significant difference in the percentage composition of aerial parts was observed. To study seasonal changes, similarity analysis was carried out by calculating correlation coefficient (r) and vector angle cosine (z) that were more than 0.91 for stem-to-stem and leaf-to-leaf batches indicating considerable consistency.     

Controlled Release of Volatile Aldehydes and Ketones from Dynamic Mixtures Generated by Reversible Hydrazone Formation

Delivery systems generated by reversible hydrazone formation from hydrazine derivatives (see Fig. 1) and carbonyl compounds in H₂O efficiently increase the long‐lastingness of volatile aldehydes and ketones (R¹R²C?O) in various perfumery applications. The hydrazones are usually obtained in an (E) configuration at the imine double bond (NHN?C) and, in the case of aliphatic acylhydrazones R′CO? NH? N?CR¹R² (R′=alkyl), as syn and anti conformers with respect to the amide bond (CO? NHN). An average free‐energy barrier of ca. 78 kJ/mol was determined for the amide‐bond rotation by variable‐temperature ¹H‐NMR measurements (Fig. 2). In the presence of H₂O, the hydrazone formation is entirely reversible, reaching an equilibrium composed of the hydrazine derivative, the carbonyl compound, and the corresponding hydrazone. Kinetic measurements carried out by UV/VIS spectroscopy showed that the same equilibrium was reached for the formation and hydrolysis of the hydrazone. Rate constants are strongly pH‐dependent and increase with decreasing pH (Table 1). The influence of the hydrazine structure on the rate constants is less pronounced than the pH effect, and the presence of surfactants reduces the rate of equilibration (Tables 1 and 3). The full reversibility of the hydrazone formation allows to prepare dynamic mixtures by simple addition of a hydrazine derivative to several carbonyl compounds. Dynamic headspace analysis on dry cotton showed that the presence of a hydrazine derivative significantly increased the headspace concentrations of the different carbonyl compounds as compared to the reference sample without hydrazine (Table 4). The release of the volatiles was found to be efficient for fragrances with high vapor pressures and low H₂O solubility. Furthermore, a special long‐lasting effect was obtained for the release of ketones. The simplicity of generating dynamic mixtures combined with the high efficiency for the release of volatiles makes these systems particularly interesting for practical applications and will certainly influence the development of delivery systems in other areas such as the pharmaceutical or agrochemical industry.     

Volatile Profile of Portuguese Monofloral Honeys: Significance in Botanical Origin Determination

The volatile profiles of 51 samples from 12 monofloral-labelled Portuguese honey types were assessed. Honeys of bell heather, carob tree, chestnut, eucalyptus, incense, lavender, orange, rape, raspberry, rosemary, sunflower and strawberry tree were collected from several regions from mainland Portugal and from the Azores Islands. When available, the corresponding flower volatiles were comparatively evaluated. Honey volatiles were isolated using two different extraction methods, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and hydrodistillation (HD), with HD proving to be more effective in the number of volatiles extracted. Agglomerative cluster analysis of honey HD volatiles evidenced two main clusters, one of which had nine sub-clusters. Components grouped by biosynthetic pathway defined alkanes and fatty acids as dominant, namely n-nonadecane, n-heneicosane, n-tricosane and n-pentacosane and palmitic, linoleic and oleic acids. Oxygen-containing monoterpenes, such as cis- and trans-linalool oxide (furanoid), hotrienol and the apocarotenoid α-isophorone, were also present in lower amounts. Aromatic amino acid derivatives were also identified, namely benzene acetaldehyde and 3,4,5-trimethylphenol. Fully grown classification tree analysis allowed the identification of the most relevant volatiles for discriminating the different honey types. Twelve volatile compounds were enough to fully discriminate eleven honey types (92%) according to the botanical origin.     

Comparison of direct thermal desorption with water distillation and superheated water extraction for the analysis of volatile components of Rosa damascena Mill. using GCxGC-TOF/MS

The composition of the volatile components from Rosa damascena Mill. was investigated using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time of flight mass spectrometry (TOF/MS). The samples were collected from Turkey and were extracted by water distillation (WD), superheated water extraction (SWE) and direct thermal desorption (DTD). It was found that superheated water extraction gave a slightly higher oil yield than water distillation. The major compounds found in volatiles of R. damascena Mill. were linalool, phenylethylalcohol, citronellol, nerol and geraniol. Phenylethylalcohol content was significantly higher using the DTD (36.52%) and SWE (38.14%) techniques compared to the WD (1.92%) technique. A lower content of monoterpene alcohols was found in volatiles extracted using the DTD method (73.69%) compared to the SWE (86.51%) and WD (86.56%) techniques reflecting the main finding that DTD extracts showed a greater total number of different components than either of the other two methods. The number of volatile components identified with a percentage higher than 0.05% were 54, 37, and 34 for the DTD, SWE and WD techniques, respectively. This highlighted DTD as a promising method for qualitative analysis of rose oil which can yield comprehensive results without the traditional obligation for costly and time consuming extraction techniques.     

New oxygenated himachalenes in male-specific odor of the Chinese windmill butterfly,Byasa alcinous alcinous

Male adults of the Chinese windmill Byasa alcinous alcinous (Papilionidae) are well known to have a strong musk-like odor, in which two oxygenated himachalene compounds, together with six sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, were newly discovered. γ-Himachalen-4-yl acetate (1) was the predominant compound isolated from the solvent extract of the males. The structure of 1 was determined using MS and NMR, and its relative configuration was established as 1S^*,4R^*,6R^* by NOE analysis with the help of quantum mechanical computation. Interestingly, the amount of 1 in males increased until 7 days after eclosion, suggesting that this compound is involved in sexual maturation for mating. Another new compound was identified as γ-himachalen-4-ol (2) by comparison with the retention time and mass spectrum of the hydrolysate of 1. Since males of other papilionid species have general volatiles omnipresent in plants and insects, the presence of species-specific volatiles in males is characteristic of B. alcinous alcinous.     

GC/MS combined with chemometrics methods for quality control of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq: Determination of essential oils

A simple and rapid gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis method was developed for the determination of essential oils in the crude extract of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq (Sch.t.Briq). Five major volatiles (menthone, pulegone, 2-hydroxy-2-isopropenyl-5-methylcylohexanone, cis-pulegone oxide, and schizonal) were extracted and isolated from Sch.t.Briq as marker compounds for use in the quality control of herbal medicines. Various extraction techniques, such as solvent immersion, mechanical shaking, and sonication, were evaluated, and the greatest efficiency was observed with sonication extraction using petroleum ether. The dynamic range of the GC/MS method depended on the specific analyte; acceptable quantification was obtained between 10 and 1000 μg/mL for menthone and pulegone, and between 2.5 and 75.0 μg/mL for 2-hydroxy-2-isopropenyl-5-methylcylohexanone, cis-pulegone oxide, and schizonal. The method was deemed satisfactory by inter- and intra-day validation and exhibited both high accuracy and precision, with a relative standard deviation < 10%. Overall limits of detection were approximately 0.40–0.50 μg/mL, with a standard deviation (σ)-to-calibration slope (s) ratio (σ/s) of 3. The limit of quantitation in our experiments was approximately 2.5 μg/mL at a σ/s of 10. On the basement of method validation, 21 samples of Sch.t.Briq collected from markets in Korea were monitored for the quality control. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were performed on the analytical data of 21 different Sch.t.Briq samples in order to classify samples that were collected from different regions.     

Extending the scope of enantiomer separation on diluted methylated β-cyclodextrin derivatives by high-resolution gas chromatography

High-resolution open-tubular columns coated with solutions of heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin (Phase I) or heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl-3-O-trifluoroacetyl)-β-cyclodextrin (Phase II) in moderately polar polysiloxanes such as OV-1701 (5% cyanopropyl/7% phenyl/88% methylpolysiloxane) and OV-225 (25% cyanopropyl/50% phenyl/25% methylpolysiloxane) are used for the gas chromatographic enantiomer separation of volatiles belonging to different classes of compounds. No derivatization procedures are necessary for most of the resolved chiral molecules. The chiral stationary phases can be operated between 25 and 190°C for extended periods of time. The enantiomer separation of saturated, unfunctionalized hydrocarbons clearly demonstrates the importance of molecular inclusion in chiral recognition using cyclodextrins for this class of compounds. The different, and in some cases complementary, selectivity of the Phases I and II is demonstrated.     

Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds from Dendranthema indicum var. aromaticum by Headspace Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Accurate Mass Measurement

The volatile organic compounds from flowers, leaves, and stems of Dendranthema indicum var. aromaticum, obtained through a static headspace technique, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and accurate mass measurement. The qualitative approach, comprising accurate mass measurement, retention index, and mass spectral search, was utilized to identify compounds. A total of 162 components were identified, representing 97.55–98.72% of the volatiles of individual samples. The principal chemical components in flowers were bornyl acetate (15.40%), α-phellandrene (14.18%), p-cymene (9.64%), camphor (9.54%), β-linalool (8.61%), and α-thujone (7.06%). In leaves, the main components were p-cymene (20.42%), bornyl acetate (20.41%), α-phellandrene (13.67%), and β-linalool (5.46%). As for stems, trans-β-farnesene (17.95%), germacrene D (12.89%), β-phellandrene (12.70%), β-caryophyllene (10.18%), and bicyclogermacrene (8.01%) were the dominant volatile compounds. Comparative studies on the volatiles from various species of genus Dendranthema indicated that Dendranthema indicum var. aromaticum contains significantly more aroma compounds than its morphologically similar species.     

Analysis of volatiles associated with industrial scale processing of expanded polystyrene Part II: Identification and quantitation

Expanded polystyrene was pyrolyzed on a laboratory scale hot wire cutter. The resulting volatiles were characterized using GC/MS as the primary analytical tool. Use was also made of retention data from a complex petrochemical standard. In situ bromination of the pyrolysate further helped in structure elucidation. Air samples were collected in the field and compared to the model experiments from a laboratory scale hot wire cutter. The results indicate that alkylbenzene type compounds were the primary compounds in this environment. A few oxygenated substances were also formed. Traces of brominated compounds were detected in the model experiments but not in the samples collected in the field, with one exception. Quantitative data are presented from a typical industrial operation.     

Characterization of secondary volatile profiles in Nigella sativa seeds from two different origins using accelerated solvent extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The extraction and identification of bioactive compounds from herbs is of great interest. In this study, accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) technique was used to analyze the secondary volatile profiles in Nigella sativa seeds obtained from two different origins, Egypt and Bangladesh. The main extraction parameters, including extraction temperature, pressure and static extraction time, were investigated and optimized. Identification and quantification of the major constituents in nonpolar extracts (hexane) were achieved by means of GC‐FID/GC‐MS analysis with external standards. The two seeds showed a similar variety of chemical composition; however, the secondary volatiles profile of Bangladesh seed was higher than that of the Egyptian seed. A total of 25 compounds were identified from the ASE extract under the following optimum extraction conditions: 100°C, 1500 psi and 5 min, for extraction temperature, pressure and static time, respectively. The proposed technique can be used for the characterization of N. sativa varieties or cultivars. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of the headspace of foodstuffs near room temperature

Formation of volatiles in onion varieties, aging of coffee, and the quality of birch syrup were studied by using near room temperature headspace GC-MS analysis. Accurate volumes (1–500 mL) of the gaseous samples were introduced into the capillary column either by a syringe or by sucking with a pump. The standard deviation of the contents was typically 1-7% depending on the foodstuff and the compound. The ratio of 2,3-butanedione to 2-methylfuran decreased during the storage of coffee and was a typical measure of aging. Analysis of even the very polar 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone in the headspace of birch syrup was possible. The distribution patterns of the sulfur-containing volatiles generated by crushed onions were close to each other in different varieties. The rate of the total formation of the compounds varied from cultivar to cultivar.     

Characterization of volatile substances in apples from Rosaceae family by headspace solid‐phase microextraction followed by GC‐qMS

The volatile composition of different apple varieties of Malus domestica Borkh. species from different geographic regions at Madeira Islands, namely Ponta do Pargo (PP), Porto Santo (PS), and Santo da Serra (SS) was established by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) procedure followed by GC‐MS (GC‐qMS) analysis. Significant parameters affecting sorption process such as fiber coating, extraction temperature, extraction time, sample amount, dilution factor, ionic strength, and desorption time, were optimized and discussed. The SPME fiber coated with 50/30 μm divinylbenzene/carboxen/PDMS (DVB/CAR/PDMS) afforded highest extraction efficiency of volatile compounds, providing the best sensitivity for the target volatiles, particularly when the samples were extracted at 50°C for 30 min with constant magnetic stirring. A qualitative and semi‐quantitative analysis between the investigated apple species has been established. It was possible to identify about 100 of volatile compounds among pulp (46, 45, and 39), peel (64, 60, and 64), and entire fruit (65, 43, and 50) in PP, PS, and SS apples, respectively. Ethyl esters, terpenes, and higher alcohols were found to be the most representative volatiles. α‐Farnesene, hexan‐1‐ol and hexyl 2‐methylbutyrate were the compounds found in the volatile profile of studied apples with the largest GC area, representing, on average, 24.71, 14.06, and 10.80% of the total volatile fraction from PP, PS, and SS apples. In PP entire apple, the most abundant compounds identified were α‐farnesene (30.49%), the unknown compound m/z (69, 101, 157) (21.82%) and hexyl acetate (6.57%). Regarding PS entire apple the major compounds were α‐farnesene (16.87%), estragole (15.43%), hexan‐1‐ol (10.94), and E‐2‐hexenal (10.67). α‐Farnesene (30.3%), hexan‐1‐ol (18.90%), 2‐methylbutanoic acid (4.7%), and pentan‐1‐ol (4.6%) were also found as SS entire apple volatiles present in a higher relative content. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the results clustered the apples into three groups according to geographic origin. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was performed in order to detect the volatile compounds able to differentiate the three kinds of apples investigated. The most important contributions to the differentiation of the PP, PS, and SS apples were ethyl hexanoate, hexyl 2‐methylbutyrate, E,E‐2,4‐heptadienal, p‐ethyl styrene, and E‐2‐hexenal.     

Dynamic capillary diffusion system for monoterpene and sesquiterpene calibration: quantitative measurement and determination of physical properties

This article describes a method for preparation of low concentration gas standard mixtures of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted primarily by plants. A set of 10 plant volatiles including α-pinene, β-pinene, 3-carene, linalool, methyl salicylate, α-cedrene, β-caryophyllene, β-farnesene, aromadendrene and α-humulene was used in the study. Gas standard mixture of these compounds was generated using a capillary diffusion system (CDS). Diffusion coefficient (D) and saturation vapour pressure (p _s) data of these compounds were calculated from experimentally determined gas chromatographic retention indices (RI) and empirical relationships between D and p _s versus RI. A comparison of the calculated and measured concentrations of investigated compounds has proved that designed CDS can be successfully used for the proper quantification of BVOCs.     

Quality control of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq by solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and principal component analysis

The chemical composition of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq. (Sch.t.Briq.) is mainly composed of several volatile substances that affect multiple pharmacological targets and provide clinical efficacy. In this work, a headspace/solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS) method was developed to evaluate the profiles of volatile compounds in Sch.t.Briq. The optimization of SPME conditions was carried out using four kinds of fiber, extraction time and temperature, desorption temperature and time, and sample amount. The GC/MS analysis allowed the tentative identification of 21 compounds, with similarities higher than 85%, in accordance with the NIST/Wiley mass spectral library. Major components such as (+)-menthone (14.32%), (−)-pulegone (47.73%), 2-hydroxy-2-isopropenyl-5-methylcyclohexane (5.97%), cis-pulegone oxide (4.12%), and schizonal (5.36%) were identified by comparison of retention time and mass spectral data of standards isolated from Sch.t.Briq. The contents of these compounds were about above 78% against total amounts of volatile compounds extracted from Sch.t.Briq. Based on optimized SPME method, 19 different Sch.t.Briq. samples collected from markets in Korea and China were analyzed to obtain the profiling data of volatile compounds. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the profiling data in order to classify the samples collected from the different regions. PCA could possibly visualize the grouping tendencies of the studied varieties of herbal samples, as well as the identification of the volatiles responsible for discriminating the groups.     

A direct quantitative analysis method for monitoring biogenic volatile organic compounds released from leaves of Pelargonium hortorum in situ

A direct quantitative method is presented that is based upon the use of multiple headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) to monitor biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) released from a living leaf of Pelargonium hortorum in situ. Seventeen BVOCs were detected by GC-MS after a single SPME extraction using a CAR/DVB/PDMS fibre. An internal standard was employed to determine the absolute amounts of seven terpenoid compounds released from a P. hortorum leaf. The quantitative analysis was performed over two days, with extraction preformed for 20 min every 3 h. The amount of volatiles extracted varied with the time of day, with two maxima recorded at 14:00 (day 1) and 17:00 (day 2), corresponding to 236 and 277 ng of the seven terpenoids recorded, respectively. These results indicate that multiple HS-SPME in combination with an internal standard is a simple, quick, and quantitative technique for analysising BVOC emissions from a live plant sample.