Quantitative determination of wine highly volatile sulfur compounds by using automated headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-pulsed flame photometric detection. Critical study and optimization of a new procedure

The quantitative determination of wine volatile sulfur compounds by automated headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with a carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (CAR-PDMS) fiber and subsequent gas chromatography-pulsed flame photometric detection (GC-PFPD) has been evaluated. The direct extraction of the sulfur compounds in 5 ml of wine has been found to suffer from matrix effects and short linear ranges, problems which could not be solved by the use of different internal standards or by multiple headspace SPME. These problems were attributed to saturation of the fiber and to competitive effects between analytes, internal standards and other wine volatiles. Another problem was the oxidation of analytes during the procedure. The reduction in sample volume by a factor 50 (0.1 ml diluted with water or brine) brought about a reduction in the amount of sulfur compounds taken in the fiber by a factor just 3.3. Consequently, a new procedure has been proposed. In a sealed vial containing 4.9 ml of saturated NaCl brine, the air is thoroughly displaced with nitrogen, and the wine (0.1 ml) and the internal standards (0.02 ml) are further introduced with a syringe through the vial septum. This sample is extracted at 35 degrees C for 20 min. This procedure makes a satisfactory determination possible of hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, ethanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, diethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide. The linear dynamic ranges cover the normal ranges of occurrence of these analytes in wine with typical r2 between 0.9823 and 0.9980. Reproducibility in real samples ranges from 10 to 20% and repeatability is better than 10% in most cases. The method accuracy is satisfactory, with errors below 20% for hydrogen sulfide and mostly below 10% for the other compounds. The proposed method has been applied to the analysis of 34 Spanish wines.     

Multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction for the quantitative determination of volatile organic compounds in multilayer packagings

The theory of multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and a method based on multiple HS-SPME for the quantitative determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in packaging materials is presented. The method allows the direct analysis of solid samples without using organic solvents to extract analytes. Multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction is a stepwise method proposed to eliminate the influence of the sample matrix on the quantitative analysis of solid samples by HS-SPME. Different amounts of packaging and different volumes of standard solution were studied in order to remove a substantial quantity of analytes from the headspace at each extraction and obtain the theoretical exponential decay of the peak area of the four successive extractions and, thus, the total area was calculated from these four extractions. In addition, two fibres were compared: carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (CAR-PDMS) and divinylbenzene-carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (DVB-CAR-PDMS), as they showed differences in the linearity of the exponential decay with the number of extractions depending on the compound. The CAR-PDMS fibre was better for the VOCs with a low molecular mass, whereas the DVB-CAR-PDMS fibre was better for the VOCs with a high molecular mass. Finally, the method was characterised in terms of linearity, detection limit and reproducibility and applied to analyse four multilayer packaging samples with different VOCs contents.     

顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱法同时测定饮用水源水中24种VOCs

建立了同时测定饮用水源水中24种挥发性有机物(VOCs)的顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱法.用75 μm CarboxenTM-Polydimethylsiloxane(CAR-PDMS)固相微萃取柱顶空萃取水样中的VOCs,VOCs用气相色谱-质谱联用仪检测,采用内标法定量.对萃取柱涂层、样品盐度、萃取温度和萃取时间等样品前处理条件进行了优化,VOCs的检出限在0.03～0.31 μg/L之间,线性相关系数r＞0.996(二氯甲烷和三氯甲烷除外).对饮用水源水实际水样0.50μg/L和1.00 μg/L两个加标浓度水平的回收率进行了测定,三氯甲烷回收率均值分别为104％和142％,其余VOCs回收率分别为90.0％～120％和88.0％～110％,除二氯甲烷和三氯甲烷外,其余VOCs测定结果的相对标准偏差均小于15.0％(n=6).该方法适用于饮用水源水中挥发性有机物的监测分析.     

Optimisation of a solid-phase microextraction method for synthetic musk compounds in water

A solid-phase microextraction method (SPME) for determining trace levels of synthetic musk fragrances in residual waters has been developed. Six polycyclic musks (cashmeran, phantolide, celestolide, traseolide, galaxolide and tonalide), and a macrocyclic musk (ambrettolide) have been analysed. A detailed study of the different parameters affecting the extraction process is presented. The main important factors affecting the microextraction process have been studied and optimised by means of a categorical factorial design. Two extraction modes (direct SPME and headspace SPME) were tried at different extraction temperatures using four different fiber coatings [polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), Carboxen (CAR)-PDMS, PDMS-divinylbenzene (DVB) and Carbowax (CW)-DVB]. An extraction temperature of 100 degrees C sampling the headspace over the sample using CAR-PDMS or PDMS-DVB as fiber coatings were found to be the experimental conditions that lead to a more effective extraction. The method proposed is very simple and yields high sensitivity, with detection limits in the low pg/ml, good linearity and repeatability for all the target compounds. The total analysis time, including extraction and GC analysis, was only 45 min. The optimised method performed well when it was applied to waste water from an urban treatment plant.     

Evaluation of solid-phase micro-extraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the headspace analysis of volatile compounds in cocoa products

The aroma profile of cocoa products was investigated by headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). SPME fibers coated with 100 μm polydimethylsiloxane coating (PDMS), 65 μm polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene coating (PDMS-DVB), 75 μm carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane coating (CAR-PDMS) and 50/30 μm divinylbenzene/carboxen on polydimethylsiloxane on a StableFlex fiber (DVB/CAR-PDMS) were evaluated. Several extraction times and temperature conditions were also tested to achieve optimum recovery. Suspensions of the samples in distilled water or in brine (25% NaCl in distilled water) were investigated to examine their effect on the composition of the headspace. The SPME fiber coated with 50/30 μm DVB/CAR-PDMS afforded the highest extraction efficiency, particularly when the samples were extracted at 60 °C for 15 min under dry conditions with toluene as an internal standard. Forty-five compounds were extracted and tentatively identified, most of which have previously been reported as odor-active compounds. The method developed allows sensitive and representative analysis of cocoa products with high reproducibility. Further research is ongoing to study chocolate making processes using this method for the quantitative analysis of volatile compounds contributing to the flavor/odor profile.     

A solid-phase microextraction fiber coated with diglycidyloxycalix[4]arene yields very high extraction selectivity and sensitivity during the analysis of chlorobenzenes in soil

A novel fiber coated with novel sol-gel (5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,27-dihydroxy-26,28-diglycidyloxycalix[4]arene/hydroxy-terminated silicone oil; diglycidyloxy-C[4]/OH-TSO) was prepared for use with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography (GC) and electron capture detection (ECD), which was applied in order to determine nine chlorobenzenes in soil matrices. Due to the improved fiber preparation, which increases the percentage of calixarene in the coating, the new calixarene fiber exhibits very high extraction selectivity and sensitivity to chlorine-substituted compounds. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized in order to maximize the sensitivity during the chlorobenzene analysis. Interferences from different soil matrices with different characteristics were investigated, and the amount extracted was strongly influenced by the matrix. Therefore, a standard addition protocol was performed on the real soil samples. The linear ranges of detection for the chlorobenzenes tested covered three orders of magnitude, and correlation coefficients >0.9976 and relative standard deviations (RSD) <8% were observed. The detection limits were found at sub-ng/g of soil levels, which were about an order of magnitude lower than those given by the commercial poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coating for most of the compounds. The recoveries ranged from 64 to 109.6% for each analyte in the real kaleyard soil matrix when different concentration levels were determined over the linear range, which confirmed the reliability and feasibility of the HS-SPME/GC-ECD approach using the fiber coated with diglycidyloxy-C[4]/OH-TSO for the ultratrace analysis of chlorobenzenes in complex matrices.      

Simultaneous determination of traces of pyrethroids, organochlorines and other main plant protection agents in agricultural soils by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography

A solvent-free and simple method based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was developed in order to determine simultaneously 36 common pesticides and breakdown products (mostly pyrethroids and organochlorine compounds) in soil. The analysis was carried out by gas chromatography with micro-electron-capture detection (GC-microECD). As far as we know, this is the first study about the SPME of pyrethroid insecticides from soil. Factors such as extraction temperature, matrix modification by addition of water, salt addition (% NaCl) and fiber coating were considered in the optimization of the HS-SPME. To this end, a 3 x 2(3-1) fractional factorial design was performed. The results showed that temperature and fiber coating were the most significant variables affecting extraction efficiency. A suitable sensitivity for all investigated compounds was achieved at 100 degrees C by extracting soil samples wetted with 0.5 mL of ultrapure water (0% NaCl) employing a polyacrylate (PA) coating fiber. Using the recommended extraction conditions with GC-microECD, a linear calibration could be achieved over a range of two orders of magnitude for both groups of analytes. Limits of detection (LODS) at the sub-ng g(-1) level were attained and relative standard deviations (RSDs) were found to be lower than 14% for both groups of pesticides. Matrix effects were investigated by the analysis of different soil samples fortified with the target compounds. The method accuracy was assessed and good recovery values (>70%, in most cases) were obtained. The method was also validated with a certified reference material (RTC-CRM818-050), which was quantified using a standard addition protocol. Finally, the proposed HS-SPME-GC-microECD methodology was further applied to the screening of environmental soil samples for the presence of the target pesticides.     

Multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction using a new fiber for avoiding matrix interferences in the quantitative determination of ethyl carbamate in pickles

Multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) using a novel fiber coated with anilino-methyl triethoxy silicane-methacrylic acid/terminated silicone oil has been introduced as a useful pretreatment technique coupled to gas chromatography-flame ionization detector for the detection of ethyl carbamate in pickles. Anilino-methyl triethoxy silicane and methacrylic acid are put into use simultaneously with the aim to increase the hydrogen interaction strength between ethyl carbamate and the coating. In addition, the new fiber exhibits high thermal stability, good reproducibility, and long lifetime. Extraction temperature, extraction time, amount of desiccant, and amount of sample were well optimized to guarantee the suitability of multiple HS-SPME. Significant matrix interference was observed among various types of pickles and the multiple HS-SPME procedure was proved to be effective in avoiding the matrix effect by a complete recovery of the analyte. The method showed satisfactory linearity (0.1-100 mg kg(-1)), precision (4.25%, n = 5), and detection limit (0.038 mg kg(-1)). The accuracy of the method was evaluated by comparison with standard addition method and the results were statistically equivalent. The study indicates that the multiple HS-SPME procedure is simple, convenient, accurate, and low-cost, and most of all, can be used for quantitative analysis in complex matrix without matrix effect.     

Experimental design applied to the analysis of volatile compounds in apple juice by headspace solid-phase microextraction

A simple and fast method based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by fast gas chromatography (Fast GC) has been developed for the analysis of volatile compounds in Asturian apple juices employed in the cider production. Three different fiber coatings have been checked (PDMS, PDMS-DVB and CAR-PDMS) and PDMS-DVB has been presented to be the most suitable one. Experimental design has been employed in the optimization of extraction factors and robustness assessment. The use of Fast GC allowed the separation of 14 compounds (esters, aldehydes and alcohols) in approximately 4 min, clearly reducing the analysis time when compared to conventional GC. Good linearity, recoveries and repeatability of the solid-phase microextraction were obtained with r(2) values, recoveries and relative standard deviations ranging from 0.9822 to 0.9998, 83.2 to 109.8% and 0.5 to 11.7%, respectively, using standard solution.     

Multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction after matrix modification for avoiding matrix effect in the determination of ethyl carbamate in bread

This study presents the potential of multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction (multiple HS-SPME) for the quantification of analytes in solid samples. Multiple HS-SPME shares the same advantages as SPME. It also enables a complete recovery of the target compound and therefore the matrix effect, which commonly appears in SPME-based analysis, is avoided. A method based on multiple HS-SPME for the determination of the toxic contaminant ethyl carbamate (EC) in bread samples has been developed and validated, using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. A novel polyethylene glycol/hydroxy-terminated silicone oil fiber was prepared for the first time and subsequently used instead of commercial ones because of its high extraction ability and good operational stability. An important problem still remained in multiple HS-SPME of EC in fresh bread samples. The adsorption of EC by water in the samples caused low transport of analyte to the headspace, which made multiple HS-SPME invalidated. Mixing with anhydrous sodium sulphate, the sensitivity of the method was improved and the problem was solved. The proposed method showed satisfactory linearity (0.15–1500 μg g⁻¹), precision (1.6%, n = 5) and limit of detection (0.041 μg g⁻¹). Good recoveries, from 92.5 to 103.4%, were observed at three spiking levels. The method was applied to 14 bread samples. The multiple HS-SPME technique offers several advantages including reducing the manipulation time and cost, and avoiding analyte losses, especially in the analysis of a large number of samples in different matrices.     

间接顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱法对红花香雪兰天然花香成分的分析

建立了间接顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱对红花香雪兰天然花香成分的分析方法。首先利用气体采样装置对花香成分进行固相富集,富集后的花香成分在浸提液中解析,之后利用顶空固相微萃取方法对浸提液中的花香成分进行分析。红花香雪兰花香中主要成分(沉香醇、松油醇、紫罗兰酮和二氢紫罗兰酮)定量分析优化实验条件：Florisil(弗罗里硅土)作为吸附剂,水-甲醇混合液(9∶1, V/V)和0.6 mol/L HCl作为浸提液,萃取温度70℃,平衡时间为25 min。实验结果表明,沉香醇和松油醇在1~100μg/mL范围内有良好的线性关系(R2≥0.981),检出限分别为0.05和0.10μg;二氢紫罗兰酮和紫罗兰酮在0.5~50μg/mL范围内有良好的线性关系(R2≥0.988),检出限为0.02μg。     

Development of a rapid and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,4-dichlorobenzene and naphthalene residues in honey using HS-SPME coupled with GC-MS

A new method for the simultaneous determination of 1,4-dichlorobenzene (p-DCB), naphthalene and 1,2-dibromoethane (1,2-DBE) residues in honey has been developed. Analysis is carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in selected ion monitoring mode (SIM), after extraction and preconcentration of target analytes by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), with a 100 microm film thickness polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fiber. Several parameters affecting the extension of the adsorption process (i.e., addition of salt, extraction time, extraction temperature) were studied. The optimal conditions for the determination of these analytes were established. The proposed HS-SPME method showed good sensitivity, without carryover between the samples. Linearity was studied from 5 to 2500 microg kg(-1) for p-DCB, 0.5 to 500 microg kg(-1) for naphthalene and 5 to 500 microg kg(-1) honey for 1,2-DBE with correlation coefficients (r(2)) ranging from 0.9901 to 0.9999. Precision was assessed and both intra and inter-day R.S.D.s (%) were below 6.3%. The detection limits were found to be 1, 0.1 and 2 microg kg(-1) honey for p-DCB, naphthalene and 1,2-DBE, respectively. The percentage recoveries that were evaluated with the proposed HS-SPME method and the standard addition calibration technique gave values among 72.8 and 104.3% for measurements in samples spiked with one target analyte or mixtures of the three. This method has been applied for the analysis of unknown honey samples. The results showed an excellent applicability of the proposed method for the determination of the target compounds in honey samples.     

Multivariate optimization of a solid-phase microextraction method for the analysis of phthalate esters in environmental waters

A solid-phase microextraction method (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed for the determination of the six phthalate esters included in the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Priority Pollutants list in water samples. These compounds are dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP). Detailed discussion of the different parameters, which could affect the extraction process, is presented. Main factors have been studied and optimized by means of a multifactor categorical design. Different commercial fibers, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB), polyacrylate (PA), Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (CAR-PDMS) and Carbowax-divinylbenzene (CW-DVB), have been investigated, as well as the extraction mode, exposing the fiber directly into the sample (DSPME) or into the headspace over the sample (HS-SPME), and different extraction temperatures. The use of this experimental design allowed for the evaluation of interactions between factors. Extraction kinetics has also been studied. The optimized microextraction method showed linear response and good precision for all target analytes. Detection limits were estimated considering the contamination problems associated to phthalate analysis. They were in the low pg mL(-1), excluding DEHP (100 pg mL(-1)). The applicability of the developed SPME method was demonstrated for several real water samples including mineral, river, industrial port and sewage water samples. All the target analytes were found in real samples. Levels of DEP and DEHP were over 1 ng mL(-1) in some of the samples.     

Fast and sensitive method to determine chloroanisoles in cork using an internally cooled solid-phase microextraction fiber

A new generation of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber, an internally cooled fiber (cold fiber with polydimethylsiloxane loading) that allows heating the sample matrix and simultaneously cooling the fiber coating, was used to determine 2,4-dichloroanisole, 2,6-dichloroanisole, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole and pentachloroanisole in cork. A comparison between the cold fiber and regular SPME fiber was performed. An automated headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) using commercial fibers and an internally cooled SPME fiber (CF-HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) was used. The extraction conditions for both CF-HS-SPME and HS-SPME were optimized using full factorial design and Doehlert matrix. The best extraction conditions for CF-HS-SPME were obtained using 10 min of incubation time, 10 min of extraction time, and sample and fiber temperature of 130 and 10 degrees C, respectively. For HS-SPME, polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber was used with 10 min of incubation time, 75 min of extraction time, 85 degrees C of sample temperature, 8 ml of water was added and agitated at 500 rpm. The quantification limits for the target compounds using CF-HS-SPME procedure were between 0.8 and 1.6 ng g(-1) of cork, while for HS-SPME were between 4 and 6 ng g(-1) of cork. Furthermore, the CF-HS-SPME procedure could be used as a non-destructive method after minor modification of the agitator for the autosampler.     

Optimisation of a complete method for the analysis of volatiles involved in the flavour stability of beer by solid-phase microextraction in combination with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

Headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was used for the quantification of 32 volatiles which represent the typical chemical reactions that can occur during beer ageing. Detection was accomplished by employing on-fibre derivatisation using o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBHA) and normal HS-SPME extraction. The procedures were optimised for SPME fibre selection, PFBHA loading temperature and time, extraction temperature and time, and effect of salt addition. Interference of matrix effects was overcome by calibrating according to the standard addition method and by using internal standards. Afterwards, the method was validated successfully and was applied to study the flavour stability of different beer types.     

Suitability of a Novel Circulating Cooling SPME for Analysis of Organophosphorous Pesticides in Tomatoes

The feasibility of circulating cooling-solid phase microextraction (CC-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-nitrogen phosphorous detector (GC-NPD) for the determination of five organophosphorous pesticides (OPPs) in tomato samples is evaluated. By heating the sample while cooling the fiber coating, the developed method provides better performance in terms of sensitivity, linearity and recovery than that of traditional headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME). The extraction capacities of activated carbon fiber (ACF) and three commercially available fibers were compared. ACF is found to be the most suitable fiber for the analysis of OPPs in tomatoes. The main factors affecting the CC-SPME process such as adsorption time, adsorption temperature and ionic strength were investigated and optimized. The matrix effect was evaluated, and concluded that addition of water is required to reduce the matrix effect. Good linearity (R ² > 0.992) is observed in the 1–200 ng g⁻¹ concentration range with satisfactory RSD (%) values of 5.6–8.5%. The limits of detection obtained using the proposed method range from 0.2 to 0.5 ng g⁻¹, and the recoveries for CC-SPME are in the range of 82.5–90.0% with RSDs lower than 8.7%. Experimental results confirm the usefulness of the proposed method for the analysis of OPPs in tomato samples.     

Sampling flower scent for chromatographic analysis

The analysis of flower volatiles requires special methods for their isolation with enrichment. Living flowers show a continuous change in their volatile profile that depends on intrinsic (genetic) and external (light, temperature, hydric stress) factors. Excised flowers suffer rapid deterioration and loss of volatiles. While industrial isolation methods for flower volatiles are well established, those at the laboratory-scale experience progressive development, in the search for higher sensitivity, reproducibility, and simplicity. This review covers the flower scent sampling methods most commonly employed during the last decade, and includes comments on their strengths and limitations. The strengths of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) for in vivo monitoring are emphasized with the examples of monitoring the circadian variation of Brugmansia suaveolens flower scent and of volatile aldehyde detection in flower scent using on-fiber derivatization.     

Volatile sulfur compounds in Cheddar cheese determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatograph-pulsed flame photometric detection

The aim of this study was to develop a methodology for the analysis of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in Cheddar cheese. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was employed to extract VSCs from the cheese matrix using a CAR-PDMS fiber. This extraction method was combined with gas chromatography-pulsed flame photometric detection (GC-PFPD) to achieve high sensitivity for sulfur compounds. The impact of extraction parameters, including time, temperature and sample size, was evaluated to determine the best conditions to analyze sulfur compounds in Cheddar cheese. Hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, and dimethyl sulfide were found to constitute the majority of the overall sulfur profile while dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide were present in lesser amounts. Artifact formation of volatile sulfur compounds was found to be minimal. Two commercial cheese samples were analyzed and differences in sulfur content were observed. Overall, SPME-GC-PFPD was found to be a highly sensitive technique for the analysis of sulfur compounds in Cheddar cheese.     

Development of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry following headspace solid-phase microextraction for fast determination of asarones in plasma

Asarones (alpha-asarone and beta-asarone) are the active components in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) of Acorus tatarinowii Schott, which has been used to treat epilepsy for several thousand years. To perform the pharmacokinetics (PK) study of alpha- and beta-asarone from the TCM essential oil, a simple, rapid and sensitive method was developed for the determination of asarones from the TCM in rabbit plasma, based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with electron ionization (EI). The extraction parameters of headspace volume, fiber coating, sample temperature, extraction time, stirring rate and ion strength were systemically optimized. Furthermore, the method linearity, detection limit and precision were also investigated. It was shown that the proposed method provided a good linearity (0.02-20 microg/mL, R(2) > 0.99), low detection limit (<2.0 ng/mL) and good precision (RSD < 7.0%). Finally, HS-SPME followed by GC/MS was applied to fast determination of alpha- and beta-asarone in rabbit plasma at different time points after oral adminstration of the essential oil from A. tatarinowii. The experimental results suggest that the proposed method provides an alternative approach to the PK studies of volatile compounds in TCMs.     

Evaluation of two commercial solid-phase microextraction fibres for the analysis of target aroma compounds in cooked beef meat

The aroma profile of cooked beef meat has been investigated by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Out of more than 200 volatile compounds, 36 key odour-active compounds were selected for analysis. Several extraction times, desorption times, temperature conditions and fibre types were tested to achieve a fast and reproducible extraction, and a representative analysis of the aroma profile of cooked beef. Extraction conditions and fibre type significantly affected the majority of the target compounds. Divinylbenzene-carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (DVB-CAR-PDMS) fibre presented a better reproducibility at all extraction times and extracted more efficiently the less volatile compounds than the carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (CAR-PDMS) fibre. The high molecular weight compounds seemed to achieve faster the equilibrium between the headspace and DVB-CAR-PDMS fibre. The use of SPME was shown to be a simple, sensitive, selective, representative, fast, and low-cost method for the evaluation of key odour-active compounds in cooked beef meat, even if further research on quantitative analysis of volatiles using SPME on solid samples has to be done.