Tequila volatile characterization and ethyl ester determination by solid phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography were used for tequila volatile characterization and ethyl ester quantitation. Several factors determined the differences in tequila volatile profiles obtained by the SPME technique, namely, sampling mode, fiber coating, and fiber exposure time. Each of these factors determined the most suitable conditions for the analysis of volatile profiles in tequila. Volatile extraction consisted of placing 40 mL of tequila in a sealed vial kept at 40 degrees C. A poly(dimethylsiloxane) fiber was immersed in the liquid for 60 min and desorbed for 5 min into the gas chromatograph. The identified volatiles by mass spectrometry were mainly alcohols, esters, and ketones. The calibration curves for ethyl hexanoate, octanoate, and decanoate followed linear relationships with highly significant (p < 0.001) determination coefficients (R2 = 0.99). The coefficients of variation of less than 10% for ethyl ester concentrations indicated that the technique was reproducible. The limits of quantitation for ethyl esters were 0.05 parts per million, which were below the concentration range (0.27-15.03 ppm) found for different tequila samples. Quantitative differences in ethyl esters were found for the four most commonly known tequila types: silver, gold, aged, and extra-aged.     

Analysis of aldehydes in beer using solid-phase microextraction with on-fiber derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A new, fast, sensitive, and solventless extraction technique was developed in order to analyze beer carbonyl compounds. The method was based on solid-phase microextraction with on-fiber derivatization. A derivatization agent, O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBOA), was absorbed onto a divinyl benzene/poly(dimethylsiloxane) 65-microm fiber and exposed to the headspace of a vial with a beer sample. Carbonyl compounds selectively reacted with PFBOA, and the oximes formed were desorbed into a gas chromatograph injection port and quantified by mass spectrometry. This method provided very high reproducibility and linearity. When it was used for the analysis of aged beers, nine aldehydes were detected: 2-methylpropanal, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, pentanal, hexanal, furfural, methional, phenylacetaldehyde, and (E)-2-nonenal.     

Silylation of acrylamide for analysis by solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography/ion-trap mass spectrometry

A method for quantitative analysis of acrylamide has been developed for use with headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME). In the method, acrylamide undergoes silylation with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) to form the volatile N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)acrylamide (BTMSA). Once formed, BTMSA is readily extracted from the headspace over the silylation reaction using a 100 microm poly(dimethylsiloxane) SPME fiber. A series of experiments was undertaken to optimize the amount of BSTFA, the silylation reaction temperature, the silylation reaction duration, and SPME sampling duration to maximize the analytical sensitivity for BTMSA. Acrylamide levels were quantified relative to a [13C3]-acrylamide internal standard using gas chromatography/ion-trap mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in the single ion monitoring mode. An analytical working curve was constructed and found to be linear over the 4 to 6700 ppb acrylamide range investigated with a limit of detection of 0.9 ppb. The native acrylamide levels of three commercial cereals were measured using the optimized analytical method. Quantitative standard additions of acrylamide to the cereal matrixes demonstrated complete recovery of the spiked acrylamide.     

Monitoring ester formation in grape juice fermentations using solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Volatile esters contribute important floral and fruity sensory properties to wine. Numerous factors influence the biosynthesis and hydrolysis of esters throughout yeast fermentation; however, methods to monitor the dynamic changes in ester production that occur during winemaking processes are limited. In this study, we showed that solid phase microextraction (SPME), a rapid, solventless sampling procedure, combined with GC/MS analysis is a useful method for the nearly continuous analysis of volatile compounds such as esters that are produced during fermentation. Accuracy, precision, and limits of quantification were comparable to those of other sample preparation methods such as liquid-liquid extraction. Using GC/MS-SPME to monitor fatty acid ethyl esters and acetate esters, we obtained detailed information on the production patterns of ester formation during fermentation. This method now enables the monitoring of volatiles during fermentation and can provide greater insight into yeast metabolism and flavor formation.     

Solid phase microextraction application in gas chromatography/olfactometry dilution analysis

Gas chromatography/olfactometry (GC/O) based on dilution analysis (e. g., CharmAnalysis or aroma extraction dilution analysis) gives an indication of what compounds are most important (most potent) to the aroma of foods. The application of solid phase microextraction to the preparation of samples for GC/O dilution analysis was shown to be feasible by varying the fiber thickness and length to achieve various absorbant volumes.     

Quantification of lignans in food using isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The optimization and validation of a protocol for the quantification of six dietary lignans, i.e., secoisolariciresinol, matairesinol, lariciresinol, pinoresinol, medioresinol, and syringaresinol, in food are presented. The method incorporates isotope dilution to ensure correct accuracy and precision, introducing the utilization of individual stable 13C3-labeled lignans. To demonstrate the potential of this new method, preliminary results of the levels of dietary lignans in selected foods are presented. It is concluded that the method fulfils the reliability criteria and can be applied to the analysis of the most common lignans in human food, being an essential asset to establish the intake of lignans in a determined population and their relation with disease prevention.     

Determination of linuron in potatoes using capillary column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A convenient method for the determination of the N-methyl,N-methoxy-phenylurea herbicide (linuron) in potatoes has been developed. The herbicide is extracted from potatoes using a slightly modified Luke multiresidue procedure. The extract is analyzed directly by gas chromatography with cold on-column injection, using an ion trap mass spectrometer in the chemical ionization mode as the detector. Quantitation is performed using p-bromonitrobenzene as the internal standard. The limit of detection is 0.1 ppm. Recoveries of linuron in potatoes averaged 112 +/- 6% at the 0.5 ppm level, and 110 +/- 2% at the 0.2 ppm level. No linuron residues were found in 25 potato samples that were analyzed by this method. Two other N-methyl,N-methoxy-phenylurea herbicides, metobromuron and chlorbromuron, are also sufficiently stable to be determined by this method, but the N,N-dialkyl-phenylurea herbicides neburon, diuron, and monuron are too thermally unstable and degrade in the gas chromatograph.     

Comparison of mass spectrometry-based electronic nose and solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique to assess infant formula oxidation

Two headspace techniques based on mass spectrometry detection (MS), electronic nose, and solid phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) were evaluated for their ability to differentiate various infant formula powders based on changes of their volatiles upon storage. The electronic nose gave unresolved MS fingerprints of the samples gas phases that were further submitted to principal component analysis (PCA). Such direct MS recording combined to multivariate treatment enabled a rapid differentiation of the infant formulas over a 4 week storage test. Although MS-based electronic nose advantages are its easy-to-use aspect and its meaningful data interpretation obtained with a high throughput (100 samples per 24 h), its greatest disadvantage is that the present compounds could not be identified and quantified. For these reasons, a SPME-GC/MS measurement was also investigated. This technique allowed the identification of saturated aldehydes as the main volatiles present in the headspace of infant milk powders. An isotope dilution assay was further developed to quantitate hexanal as a potential indicator of infant milk powder oxidation. Thus, hexanal content was found to vary from roughly 500 and 3500 microg/kg for relatively non-oxidized and oxidized infant formulas, respectively.     

Analysis of terpenoids from hemlock (Tsuga) species by solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography/ion-trap mass spectrometry

A sampling method for determining the volatile terpenoid composition from single needles of seven Tsuga species was developed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME). A reproducible sampling method for the volatile components was generated by examination of sample storage, method of needle cutting, and headspace sampling duration. Following SPME collection of the volatile compounds from the seven Tsuga species, gas chromatography/ion-trap mass spectrometry was used to identify 51 terpenoids present in the needle headspace. A semiquantitative method was devised to express individual terpenoid amounts as a percentage of all of the identified peaks in the chromatogram. The semiquantitative results permitted facile interspecies comparison using principal component analysis. Two components were able to account for 90% of the variance and were interpreted as a "species" component and a "resistance/susceptibility" component. Three interspecies groupings were evident from the principal component analysis: (1) Tsuga canadensis and Tsuga caroliniana; (2) Tsuga chinesnsis, Tsuga diversifolia, Tsuga heterophylla, and Tsuga sieboldii; and (3) Tsuga mertensiana. The finding that T. mertensiana was grouped alone and far removed from the other species adds to the morphological evidence that this species should be segregated from other Tsuga.     

Determination of enantiomers of synthetic pyrethroids in water by solid phase microextraction - enantioselective gas chromatography

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is an ideal sample preparation technique because of its speed and solvent-free features. Sampling by SPME is selective and only the dissolved concentration is measured, which allows measurement of the bioavailable fraction of a contaminant in aqueous media. One potential application of SPME is for analysis of enantiomers of chiral contaminants in environmental samples. In this study, a method was developed for determining enantiomers of (Z)-cis-bifenthrin and cis-permethrin in water using coupled SPME and enantioselective gas chromatography (GC). Following SPME sampling, enantiomers of (Z)-cis-bifenthrin and cis-permethrin were separated at the baseline on a beta-cyclodextrin-based enantioselective column, and analyte enrichment onto the SPME fiber was not enantioselective. The GC response increased as sampling time was increased from 0 to 240 min, and as sampling temperature was increased from 20 to 40 degrees C. Organic solvents such as methanol, acetone, and acetonitrile enhanced, while soil extracts slightly decreased, the GC response. The integrated SPME-enantioselective GC method was used to analyze surface runoff samples. The analysis showed preferential degradation of the 1S-3S enantiomer over the 1R-3R enantiomer for both (Z)-cis-bifenthrin and cis-permethrin. The concentrations detected by SPME-GC were substantially smaller than those determined following solvent extraction, suggesting that SPME-enantioselective GC analysis selectively measured the dissolved fraction.     

Flavor threshold for acetaldehyde in milk, chocolate milk, and spring water using solid phase microextraction gas chromatography for quantification

The detection threshold of acetaldehyde was determined on whole, lowfat, and nonfat milks, chocolate-flavored milk, and spring water. Knowledge of the acetaldehyde threshold is important because acetaldehyde forms in milk during storage as a result of light oxidation. It is also a degradation product of poly(ethylene terephthalate) during melt processing, a relatively new packaging choice for milk and water. There was no significant difference in the acetaldehyde threshold in milk of various fat contents, with thresholds ranging from 3939 to 4040 ppb. Chocolate-flavored milk and spring water showed thresholds of 10048 and 167 ppb, respectively, which compares favorably with previous studies. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) was verified as an effective method for the recovery of acetaldehyde in all media with detection levels as low as 200 and 20 ppb in milk and water, respectively, when using a polydimethyl siloxane/Carboxen SPME fiber in static headspace at 45 degrees C for 15 min.     

Analysis of ethyl carbamate in wines using solid-phase extraction and multidimensional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The method describes a rapid and accurate procedure for the analysis of ethyl carbamate in wines. The separation of the ethyl carbamate (EC), the target analyte, from alcohol and the sample matrix is a challenge to many analytical chemists. After alcohol removal from the sample, EC was extracted and concentrated by solid-phase extraction. For analysis of EC, large-volume injection on a programmable temperature vaporization (PTV) inlet was used followed by multidimensional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (MDGC/MS) using electron-impact ionization (EI). For quantitation, the ratio of ions produced during EI at m/z 62 (EC) and 64 (isotopically labeled EC) was monitored. The use of solid-phase extraction and MDGC/MS removes the majority of the matrix interference encountered in other methods. A linear dynamic range was established from 0.387 to 1160 ng/mL, with a limit of detection at 0.1 ng/mL and limit of quantitation at 1 ng/mL.     

Determination of pyrantel in swine liver by flame ionization gas chromatography and confirmation by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

During an evaluation of the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) confirmatory procedure of Lynch and Bartolucci for pyrantel residues in swine tissues, we developed a GC flame ionization method for quantitating pyrantel residues in extracts of swine liver. The method was subjected to trial principally in the laboratories of Biospherics, Inc., using control liver, fortified control liver, and incurred liver tissue samples. Although the method does not meet all of the current Food and Drug Administration criteria, it compares favorably to the official determinative method. Portions of the same extract can be used for quantitation and for GC/MS confirmation, true recoveries appear to be slightly higher, and an internal standard is not required. The precision of this method equals or exceeds that of the official determinative method.     

Determination of daminozide in apples by gas chromatography/chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A method using gas chromatography/chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC/CIMS) for the determination of daminozide residues in apples has been developed. Daminozide was separated from the sample matrix by water extraction and cation exchange, converted to the methyl ester by treatment with HCl-methanol, and determined by GC/CIMS using succinonitrile as an internal standard. The detection level was 0.05 ppm. Recoveries were 92-104% from apples spiked at the 0.05-0.5 ppm levels. Of the 25 apple samples analyzed, only 2 were positive for daminozide (1.04 and 0.32 ppm).     

In-depth search focused on furans, lactones, volatile phenols, and acetals as potential age markers of Madeira wines by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with solid phase microextraction

The establishment of potential age markers of Madeira wine is of paramount significance as it may contribute to detect frauds and to ensure the authenticity of wine. Considering the chemical groups of furans, lactones, volatile phenols, and acetals, 103 volatile compounds were tentatively identified; among these, 71 have been reported for the first time in Madeira wines. The chemical groups that could be used as potential age markers were predominantly acetals, namely, diethoxymethane, 1,1-diethoxyethane, 1,1-diethoxy-2-methyl-propane, 1-(1-ethoxyethoxy)-pentane, trans-dioxane and 2-propyl-1,3-dioxolane, and from the other chemical groups, 5-methylfurfural and cis-oak-lactone, independently of the variety and the type of wine. GC × GC-ToFMS system offers a more useful approach to identify these compounds compared to previous studies using GC-qMS, due to the orthogonal systems, that reduce coelution, increase peak capacity and mass selectivity, contributing to the establishment of new potential Madeira wine age markers. Remarkable results were also obtained in terms of compound identification based on the organized structure of the peaks of structurally related compounds in the GC × GC peak apex plots. This information represents a valuable approach for future studies, as the ordered-structure principle can considerably help the establishment of the composition of samples. This new approach provides data that can be extended to determine age markers of other types of wines.     

Semiautomated determination of pesticides in water using solid phase extraction disks and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method based on semiautomated solid phase extraction using octadecyl-bonded silica disks and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, operated in selected ion monitoring mode, allows detection and quantification of approximately 100 pesticides and transformation products in drinking water. Samples (500 mL) were passed through the disk, and the retained pesticides were eluted with acetone and ethyl acetate. Typical recoveries for pesticides at 0.1 microg L(-1) in water were in the range of 72-120% with relative standard deviations less than 20%. Calibration curves were linear over the range of 0.025-0.5 microg mL(-1) (equivalent to a concentration range in drinking water of 0.05-1.0 microg L(-1)).     

Determination of neonicotinoid pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits with solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

A rapid and simple extraction method for the simultaneous analysis of five neonicotinoid insecticides has been developed. Twelve different fruit and vegetable matrixes were extracted with methanol and cleaned up using a graphitized carbon solid phase extraction cartridge loading with a 20% methanol solution. The concentrated eluate after methanol elution was then analyzed for pesticide residues by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in the APCI positive mode. The five pesticides including nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid were recovered at 70-95% at spike levels of 0.1 and 1 mg/kg in bell pepper, cucumber, eggplant, grape, grapefruit, Japanese radish, peach, pear, potato, rice, and tomato. Relative standard deviations were less than 10% for all of the recovery tests. The proposed method is fast, easy to perform, and could be utilized for regular monitoring of pesticide residues.     

Characterization by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of sterols in saccharomyces cerevisiae during autolysis.

Yeast autolysis affects membrane stability and induces a release of vacuolar enzymes into the cell cytoplasm. Consecutively, it was important to study the evolution of sterol content in Saccharomycescerevisiae for a fourteen day period of accelerated autolysis. Unesterified and esterified sterols were analyzed both in the biomass and in the autolysis medium. Ten sterols were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A second group of six sterols was separated and partially characterized. Among the first group of 10 sterols, a dehydroergosterol was identified as ergosta-5, 7,9(11),22-tetraen-3beta-ol, not yet charaterized in S. cerevisiae. Yeast autolysis induced a decrease of esterified sterol content, especially first intermediates in the sequence of the ergosterol biosynthesis, as zymosterol. In contrast, the yeast autolysis resulted in the release of a low quantity of sterols into the medium. At the end of the fourteenth day of autolysis, 0.015% of the total sterol content of the initial biomass was found in the medium.     

Method for determination of pentobarbital in dry dog food by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A procedure has been developed and validated for measuring the concentration of pentobarbital residues in dry, extruded animal feed in the range of 3-200 ng/g (ppb) with an estimated limit of quantitation of 2 ppb. The method was developed for surveillance purposes: to measure the concentration of euthanizing agent which might be present in feeds incorporating rendered products which themselves might include some fraction of euthanized animals. A previously published qualitative procedure was modified by adding isotopically labelled pentobarbital as an internal standard. Dry feed was ground and extracted with methanol. The extract was loaded on a mixed-mode (C-18, anion exchange) solid-phase extraction cartridge designed for barbiturate residues. Pentobarbital was eluted and derivatized for gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in positive ion chemical ionization mode. Quantitation was based on the ratio of dimethyl-pentobarbital MH+ (m/z 255) vs dimethyl-pentobarbital-d(5) (m/z 260) in standards and extracts. Accuracy ranged from 112% at 3 ppb to 96% at 200 ppb, with relative standard deviations ranging from 4% at 3 ppb to 2% at 200 ppb.     

Monoterpene composition of essential oil from peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) with regard to leaf position using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis.

Monoterpene compounds of leaf pairs and flowers of Mentha x piperita have been studied by direct headspace sampling using solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS). The content of peppermint-characteristic compounds such as menthol, menthyl acetate, and neomenthol increased in a basipetal direction (older plant parts), whereas menthone and isomenthone showed higher levels in the acropetal direction (younger plant parts). Higher levels of menthofuran were found in peppermint flowers in contrast to the leaves. SPME sampling resulted in relatively higher amounts of high-volatile monoterpenes and lower detection of less volatile compounds such as menthol and menthone, compared to solvent-based samples from essential oil distillation.