Development of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry following microwave distillation and simultaneous headspace single-drop microextraction for fast determination of volatile fraction in Chinese herb

In this work, for the first time, microwave distillation (MD) coupled with simultaneous headspace single-drop microextraction (HS-SDME) was developed for the determination of the volatile components in the Chinese herb, Artemisia capillaris Thunb. The volatile components were rapidly isolated by MD, and simultaneously extracted and concentrated by using a dodecane microdrop. The volatile oil extracted in the microdrop solvent was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The experimental parameters of solvent selection, microdrop volume, microwave power, irradiation time and sample amount were investigated, and the method precision was also studied. The optimal parameters were extraction solvent of dodecane, solvent volume of 2.0 microL, microwave power of 400 W, irradiation time of 4 min, and sample amount of 2.0 g. Thirty-five volatile compounds present in Artemisia capillaris Thunb. were identified by using the proposed method, which were identical with those obtained by the conventional steam distillation method. The experimental results showed that MD-HS-SDME is a simple, rapid, reliable, and solvent-free technique for the determination of volatile compounds in Chinese herbs.     

Ultrasonic nebulization extraction-heating gas flow transfer-headspace single drop microextraction of essential oil from pericarp of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim

The ultrasonic nebulization extraction-heating gas flow transfer coupled with headspace single drop microextraction (UNE-HGFT-HS-SDME) was developed for the extraction of essential oil from Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was applied to the determination of the constituents in the essential oil. The contents of the constituents from essential oil obtained by the proposed method were found to be more similar to those obtained by hydro-distillation (HD) than those obtained by ultrasonic nebulization extraction coupled with headspace single drop microextraction (UNE-HS-SDME). The heating gas flow was firstly used in the analysis of the essential oil to transfer the analytes from the headspace to the solvent microdrop. The relative standard deviations for determining the five major constituents were in the range from 1.5 to 6.7%. The proposed method is a fast, sensitive, low cost and small sample consumption method for the determination of the volatile and semivolatile constituents in the plant materials.     

Dynamic headspace liquid-phase microextraction of alcohols

A method was developed using dynamic headspace liquid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for extraction and determination of 9 alcohols from water samples. Four different solvents, hexyl acetate, n-octanol, o-xylene and n-decane were studied as extractants. The analytes were extracted using 0.8 microl of n-octanol from the headspace of a 2 ml sample solution. The effect of sampling volume, solvent volume, sample temperature, syringe plunger withdrawal rate and ionic strength of the solution on the extraction performance were studied. A semiautomated system including a variable speed stirring motor was used to ensure a uniform movement of syringe plunger through the barrel. The method provided a fairly good precision for all compounds (5.5-9.3%), except methanol (16.4%). Detection limits were found to be between 1 and 97 microg/l within an extraction time of approximately 9.5 min under GC-MS in full scan mode.     

顶空气相色谱-质谱联用技术的应用进展

顶空分析作为一种无有机溶剂萃取的样品处理技术,通常与气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）技术结合用来分析复杂基质中的挥发性有机物。顶空气相色谱-质谱（HS-GC-MS）技术具有快速、高效、环保、灵敏度高等特点,在常规分析中发挥着重要作用。该文简要概述了静态顶空、动态顶空、顶空固相微萃取分析以及GC-MS联用技术,并介绍了整个顶空分析系统的影响因素和优化过程。根据基质类型的分类,综述了HS-GC-MS在食品和饮料、环境、生物等样品中的应用实例。HS-GC-MS的研究非常活跃,不断出现新应用,在分析挥发性有机物方面具有广阔前景。     

Headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with mass spectrometry as a powerful analytical tool for profiling the terpenoid metabolomic pattern of hop-essential oil derived from Saaz variety

Hop (Humulus lupulus L., Cannabaceae family) is prized for its essential oil contents, used in beer production and, more recently, in biological and pharmacological applications. In this work, a method involving headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed and optimized to establish the terpenoid (monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes) metabolomic pattern of hop-essential oil derived from Saaz variety as a mean to explore this matrix as a powerful biological source for newer, more selective, biodegradable and naturally produced antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds. Different parameters affecting terpenoid metabolites extraction by headspace solid-phase microextraction were considered and optimized: type of fiber coatings, extraction temperature, extraction time, ionic strength, and sample agitation. In the optimized method, analytes were extracted for 30 min at 40°C in the sample headspace with a 50/30 μm divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane coating fiber. The methodology allowed the identification of a total of 27 terpenoid metabolites, representing 92.5% of the total Saaz hop-essential oil volatile terpenoid composition. The headspace composition was dominated by monoterpenes (56.1%, 13 compounds), sesquiterpenes (34.9%, 10), oxygenated monoterpenes (1.41%, 3), and hemiterpenes (0.04%, 1) some of which can probably contribute to the hop of Saaz variety aroma. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the main metabolites are the monoterpene β-myrcene (53.0 ± 1.1% of the total volatile fraction), and the cyclic sesquiterpenes, α-humulene (16.6 ± 0.8%), and β-caryophyllene (14.7 ± 0.4%), which together represent about 80% of the total volatile fraction from the hop-essential oil. These findings suggest that this matrix can be explored as a powerful biosource of terpenoid metabolites.     

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.     

Separation and identification of volatile constituents in Artemisia argyi flowers by GC-MS with SPME and steam distillation

Artemisia argyi leaf is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this work, for the first time, the separation and identification of volatile constituents in Artemisia argyi flowers is performed. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is developed for the fast analysis of volatile constituents in the flowers. Several headspace SPME parameters, including fiber coating, extraction temperature, and extraction time, are optimized. Forty-nine compounds in the flowers are re-identified by SPME-GC-MS. At the same time, in order to compare with the SPME, steam distillation is used for analysis of the volatile constituents in the flowers, and forty-seven are detected. The total fifty-three compounds in the flowers, which mainly include cylcofenchene, alpha-pinene, alpha-myrcene, D-limonene, caryophyllene, and germacrene D, are identified by the two methods. Compared to the volatile components in Artemisia argyi leaves, the main components (including the two active compounds of borneol and borneol acetate) are also found in Artemisia argyi flowers. These results show that Artemisia argyi flowers as well as leaves might be used as TCM.     

莪术中挥发性成分的微波辅助固相顶空气相色谱法分析

将微波无溶剂提取(SFME)与顶空气相色谱(HS-GC)在线联用,建立了中药材的微波辅助固相顶空气相色谱法(MASP-HSGC),并用该方法快速直接分析了莪术药材中的挥发性成分。研究中对色谱条件、微波作用时间、微波作用功率等因素进行了考察,并以莪术醇为标准品考察了回收率和检出限,同时测定了莪术醇在莪术药材中的含量。对采用水蒸气蒸馏法(HD)和SFME法获得的莪术挥发油进行了气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）分析,所得结果与所建立方法的结果进行对比。结果表明: HD-GC、SFME-GC和MASP-HSGC法所测得的化合物分别为35、33和40种;3种方法测得的莪术醇含量分别为（0.294±0.015）、（0.331±0.023）和（0.297±0.009） mg/g。该法简便快速,可用于莪术中挥发性成分的分离分析。     

Development of a headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the identification of odour-causing volatile compounds in packaging materials

A method for the identification of volatile organic compounds in packaging materials is presented in this study. These compounds are formed by thermooxidative degradation during the extrusion coating process in the manufacture of packaging. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was used as sample preparation technique prior to the determination of the volatile organic compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effects of extraction variables, such as the type of fibre, the incubation temperature, the pre-incubation time, the size of the vial and the extraction time on the amounts of the extracted volatile compounds were studied. The optimal conditions were found to be: carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane 75 microm fibre, 5 min of pre-incubation time, 100 degrees C of incubation temperature, 20-ml vial, and 15 min of extraction time. The chromatograms obtained by HS-SPME and static headspace extraction were compared in order to show that the HS-SPME method surpasses the static headspace method in terms of sensitivity. Twenty-five compounds were identified including carbonyl compounds (such as 3-methyl-butanal, 3-heptanone or octanal), carboxylic acids (such as pentanoic acid or hexanoic acid) known as odour causing compounds and hydrocarbons (such as decane, undecane or dodecane). Finally, the method was applied to different packaging samples (one odour-unacceptable, two odour-acceptable, and three odourless samples) and to the raw materials in order to find out the odour-responsible volatile organic compounds and their source.     

Low‐temperature headspace‐trap gas chromatography with mass spectrometry for the determination of trace volatile compounds from the fruit of Lycium barbarum L.

The total saccharides content of Lycium barbarum L. is very high, and a high temperature would result in saccharide decomposition and the emergence of a large amount of water. Moreover, the volatile compounds from the fruit of L. barbarum L. are rather low in concentration. Hence, it is difficult for a conventional headspace method to study the volatile compounds from the fruit of L. barbarum L. Since headspace‐trap gas chromatography with mass spectrometry is an excellent method for trace analysis, a headspace‐trap gas chromatography with mass spectrometry method based on low‐temperature (30°C) enrichment and multiple headspace extraction was developed to explore the volatile compounds from the fruit of L. barbarum L. The headspace of the sample was extracted in 17 cycles at 30°C. Each time, the compounds extracted were concentrated in the trap (Tenax TA and Tenax GR, 1:1). Finally, all the volatile compounds were delivered into the gas chromatograph after thermal desorption. With the method described above, a total of 57 compounds were identified. The identification was completed by mass spectral search, retention index, and accurate mass measurement.     

干洗织物中氯代烃溶剂残留的气相-质谱测定

 采用固相微萃取和气 质联用技术(GC MS)对干洗衣物中氯代烯烃的残留和释放进行了分析测定。干洗过程使用的有害物质包括四氯乙烯(PCE)、三氯乙烯(TCE)及少量的三氯乙烷,这些挥发性有机物已列入许多国家和地区优先控制的污染物指标。该方法参照欧洲生态纺织品标准100对目标化合物的限量控制,以加标的标准贴衬为样品基质,将样品浸渍在含5%(体积分数)甲醇的饱和NaCl溶液中,于(40±1)℃水浴中超声处理10min后,再将样液用100μmPDMS固相微萃取纤维顶空提取,然后进行GC MS测定。     

Comparative analysis of volatile compounds of ‘fino’ sherry wine by rotatory and continuous liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase microextraction in conjunction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Different headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) methods have been selected and applied to the analysis of volatile compounds in ‘fino’ sherry wine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A method based on rotary and continuous liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) for analysis of these same compounds has been optimised. The best conditions to extract this type of compounds using SPME and LLE were determined and both methods were validated. Both methodologies show adequate detection and quantitation limits, and linear ranges for correctly analysing these compounds. The recoveries obtained were close to 100%, with good repeatability values. The analytical and procedural advantages and disadvantages of these two methods have been compared. In general, SPME presented higher sensitivities. Both analytical methods were used to analyse five samples of ‘fino’ sherry wine supplied by different producers. No significant differences were found between the techniques at a significance level of 5%. The regression coefficients (r²) for analysis using LLE and SPME exceeded 0.94 for all compounds. The LLE procedure is a method with high repeatability and has the possibility of simultaneous extraction of several samples (up to 12), however the SPME technique is a solvent-free method presenting major advantages, such as small sample volume and higher sensitivity and simplicity.     

Determination of volatile organic acids in oriental tobacco by needle-based derivatization headspace liquid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A method coupling needle-based derivatization headspace liquid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-LPME/GC-MS) was developed to determine volatile organic acids in tobacco. The mixture of N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide and decane was utilized as the solvent for HS-LPME, resulting that extraction and derivatization were simultaneously completed in one step. The solvent served two purposes. First, it pre-concentrated volatile organic acids in the headspace of tobacco sample. Second, the volatile organic acids extracted were derivatized to form silyl derivatives in the drop. The main parameters affecting needle-based derivatization HS-LPME procedure such as extraction and derivatization reagent, microdrop volume, extraction and derivatization time, and preheating temperature and preheating time were optimized. The standard addition approach was essential to obtain accurate measurements by minimizing matrix effects. Good linearity (R(2)> or =0.9804) and good repeatability (RSDs< or =15.3%, n=5) for 16 analytes in spiked standard analytes sample were achieved. The method has the additional advantages that at the same time it is simple, fast, effective, sensitive, selective, and provides an overall profile of volatile organic acids in the oriental tobacco. This paper does offer an alternative approach to determine volatile organic acids in tobacco.     

Determination of volatile flavor components in danggui cultivars by solvent free injection and hydrodistillation followed by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis

The rhizome of Angelica gigas Nakai, Angelica sinensis Diels and Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa (Umbelliferae) were chopped and extracted by hydrodistillation (HD) and solvent free solid injector (SFSI) methods to obtain the volatile compounds that were then characterized and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). SFSI extraction yielded a generally higher amount of volatile compounds than that produced by HD. A total of 48 components [including terpenes (8), aldehydes (4), alcohol (2), coumarins (9), Phthalide (3), acids (2) and sterols (2)] were identified by SFSI and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry from the three species of danggui cultivars, whereas, 24-essential oil was obtained by HD for Korean danggui only. According to these analyses, several coumarin derivatives such as decursinol angelate (16.83%) and decursin (29.34%) were found to be the dominant ones, followed by lomatin (10.25%) and marmesin (9.33%) in Korean danggui. Furfural and butylidene phthalide were the main components in Japanese in addition to butylidene dihydro-phthalide in Chinese danggui. Some parameters affecting the extraction efficiency such as injector temperature, injection time and pre-heating time were optimized. The results showed that the SFSI-method gave a higher yield of components with higher molecular mass than hydrodistillation. SFSI required little time to prepare the sample, little sample mass and a small quantity of organic solvent was needed. It can be concluded that analysis of volatile flavor compounds by SFSI in combination with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is a suitable monitoring technique to differentiate danggui cultivars.     

Determination of Volatiles in Mouse Urine by Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

The extraction and determination of volatile compounds in mice urine were performed using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In order to optimize the extraction conditions, experimental design was applied. A sample volume of 108 µl, a temperature of 148.6°C, and a time of 94 minutes were found to be the optimal conditions. Samples of male and female mouse urine were analyzed to determine volatile compound profiles. A total of 36 organic compounds including ketones, aldehydes, and terpenes were detected. The results revealed that compounds such as 2-isopropyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole, which is considered a male sexual pheromone, were only detected in male urine samples, whereas others like benzaldehyde were especially abundant in female mouse urine. A comparison of female samples corresponding to different stages of the estrous cycle was also performed.     

Volatile flavour constituent patterns of Terras Madeirenses red wines extracted by dynamic headspace solid-phase microextraction

A suitable analytical procedure based on static headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by thermal desorption gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry detection (GC-(ITD)MS), was developed and applied for the qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of volatile components of Portuguese Terras Madeirenses red wines. The headspace SPME method was optimised in terms of fibre coating, extraction time, and extraction temperature. The performance of three commercially available SPME fibres, viz. 100 mum polydimethylsiloxane; 85 mum polyacrylate, PA; and 50/30 mum divinylbenzene/carboxen on polydimethylsiloxane, was evaluated and compared. The highest amounts extracted, in terms of the maximum signal recorded for the total volatile composition, were obtained with a PA coating fibre at 30 degrees C during an extraction time of 60 min with a constant stirring at 750 rpm, after saturation of the sample with NaCl (30%, w/v). More than sixty volatile compounds, belonging to different biosynthetic pathways, have been identified, including fatty acid ethyl esters, higher alcohols, fatty acids, higher alcohol acetates, isoamyl esters, carbonyl compounds, and monoterpenols/C(13)-norisoprenoids.     

Comparison of Liquid–Liquid Extraction,Simultaneous Distillation Extraction,Ultrasound-Assisted Solvent Extraction,and Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction for the Determination of Volatile Compounds in Jujube Extract by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Jujube extract has a unique flavor that has been used as a common fragrance due to the volatile compounds. In this study, the volatiles of jujube extract were isolated by liquid–liquid extraction, simultaneous distillation extraction, ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction, and headspace solid-phase microextraction, and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Altogether 92 compounds were identified by the four methods, of which 53 components were identified for the first time; however, only 21 compounds were identified by all these methods. The performance characteristics of the four pretreatment techniques were compared by principal component analysis which showed that the volatile compounds obtained by liquid–liquid extraction and ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction were similar both in categories and in content; whereas, the volatiles extracted by simultaneous distillation extraction, ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction, and headspace solid-phase microextraction greatly varied. The results indicated that a multi-pretreatment technique should be adopted in order to obtain the most complete information about the volatile compounds in jujube extract. The ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction method exhibited excellent repeatability and recoveries, and was very suitable for quantitative analysis. Although the recoveries and reproducibility of headspace solid-phase microextraction were inferior to the other methods, it was more sensitive than other methods.     

Volatile Constituents of Achillea ligustica All. by HS-SPME/GC/GC-MS. Comparison with Essential Oils Obtained by Hydrodistillation from Corsica and Sardinia

The volatile components extracted from the headspace (HS) of Achillea ligustica All. samples and their separated organs using solid phase microextraction (SPME) were investigated by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fiftyseven compounds were identified, the main components were camphor (14.2–29.8%), artemisia ketone (0.3–26.7%), santolina alcohol (0.5–9.4%), camphene (3.0–9.0%) and trans-sabinyl acetate (1.6–5.5%). Moreover, the chemical composition of Corsican and Sardinian A. ligustica oils obtained from flowers and leafy stems harvested in four regions of both islands, were investigated. Two collective oils of A. ligustica were also investigated, comparison between both oils as well as from data literature were reported. A comparison of hydrodistillation and HS-SPME extraction of volatile components in term of isolation time, plant-consuming and chemical composition was discussed. HS-SPME technique was clearly fast in contrast to hydrodistillation (90 min/300 min). HS extraction was performed with a much smaller amount of plant than hydrodistillation. Although the aromatic profiles of HS-fractions and oils showed several quantitative differences HS-SPME can be applied to routine control analysis of aromatic and medicinal plants.

     

Differentiation of the volatile profile of microbiologically contaminated canned tomatoes by dynamic headspace extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis

The aromatic profile of microbiologically contaminated canned tomatoes was analyzed by the dynamic headspace extraction technique coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Canned tomatoes contaminated with Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus carbonarius were analyzed after 2 and 7 days. About 100 volatiles were detected, among which alcohols, aldehydes and ketones were the most abundant compounds. Gas chromatographic peak areas were used for statistical purposes. First, principal component analysis was carried out in order to visualize data trends and clusters. Then, linear discriminant analysis was performed in order to detect the set of volatile compounds ables to differentiate groups of analyzed samples. Five volatile compounds, i.e. ethanol, β-myrcene, o-methyl styrene, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol and 1-octanol, were found to be able to better discriminate between uncontaminated and contaminated samples. Prediction ability of the calculated model was estimated to be 100% by the “leave-one-out” cross-validation. An electronic nose device was then used to analyze the same contaminated and not contaminated canned tomato samples. Preliminary results were compared with those obtained by dynamic headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, showing a good agreement.