The effect of roasting method on headspace composition of robusta coffee bean aroma

Chemical and sensory analyses of cultivated pork fat tissue as a flavor enhancer for meat alternatives

The emerging field of cellular agriculture has accelerated the development of cell-cultivated adipose tissue as an additive to enhance the flavor of alternative meat products. However, there has been limited research to evaluate the sensory profile of in vitro-grown tissues compared to conventionally obtained animal fat. This study aimed to investigate the aromatic characteristics of cell-cultivated fat tissue as a flavor enhancer for meat alternatives. Porcine dedifferentiated fat (PDFAT) cells were clonally isolated and differentiated into adipocytes. This cultured adipose tissue was then analyzed alongside native porcine fat using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) coupled with descriptive sensory analysis by human consumers. This evaluation enabled quantitative and qualitative assessments of volatile compounds released during cooking for both in vitro and in vivo porcine fats. The volatile profiles generated during the cooking process and fatty aroma characteristics reported by sensory consumers were largely similar between the two fat sources, with some differences in select compounds and aroma attributes. Ultimately, the consumers found comparable overall liking scores reported between the conventional and cultured porcine fats. These findings provide valuable sensory evidence supporting the viability of cell-cultivated adipose tissue as a flavor component of meat alternatives, substituting for conventional animal fat.

Effects of Species, Post-Harvest Treatment, and Roasting on Fibre, Volatile Compounds, and Polyphenol Contents in Coffee Silverskin

Although coffee silverskin (CS) has recently been used as a food ingredient, no knowledge has been reported on the effects of species or different post-harvest treatments on its chemical composition. Therefore, the fibre, volatile compounds, phenolic acid content, and antioxidant capacity of CS samples obtained at three roasting intensities (light, medium, and dark) from the Coffea arabica and C. canephora species, each subjected to a washing or a sun-drying (“natural”) post-harvest treatment, were studied. Obtained results showed that the chemical composition of CS is due to species, roasting, post-harvest treatment, and interaction. In particular, natural Arabica CS showed the highest content of volatile compounds of Maillard and varietal origin, whereas washed Arabica CS showed the highest content of soluble dietary fibre and chlorogenic derivatives. Pyrroles, sulphur compounds, and pyridines contents were higher in Canephora CS than in Arabica CS. The dark-roasted washed Arabica CS showed the highest content of 5-O- and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acids, while the natural Arabica CS highlighted the highest antioxidant capacity. The effect of post-harvest treatments seemed to be emphasised in Arabica CS, independent of roasting, which did not significantly affect the antioxidant capacity of CS from either species.

Effects of a Novel Convection Heated Roasting Method on Aroma and Umami Taste Components of Vegetable- and Meat-Based Extracts

Roasting has been widely used in manufacturing food products, ensuring microbial safety, and improving extraction efficiency. Roasting treatment affects various qualities such as the chemical composition, physical properties, colour, aroma, and texture of food. This study determined the effect of novel convection heated roasting on aroma and taste components, that is, amino acids (AAs) and nucleotides in vegetables, meat, and their products. Heat treatment conditions were confirmed with a temperature condition of 250°C for 20–50 min for each raw material. The individual raw materials were each subjected to a convection oven process, then mixed together, and pressurised by heating at 121°C for 3 hours to prepare a key-based broth for use in Korean soup dishes. As for aroma components, aroma of fermented spirits, unpleasant aroma, and bad aroma were observed in the absence of roasting. By contrast, convection heated roasting-related aroma components such as savoury fatty aroma, coffee aroma, and roasted barley aroma were observed in the finished products after roasting. The products’ sensory profile presumably changed from negative to positive owing to roasting. By roasting, in the case of raw material extracts, the total AA and glutamic acid contents increased to 24.1–38.1%, and for the finished product, the total AA and glutamic acid contents slightly increased to 5.8–8.9%. However, no significant effect of roasting was found on nucleotides. In conclusion, it was concluded that the positive aroma component as well as the total amount of AA (umami taste) increased owing to roasting. The present results contribute immensely to the food industry as the enhancement of taste and aroma can help with the production of more palatable foods as desired by food consumers, thereby increasing the sales of nutritious foods that otherwise consumers may not buy.

Effects of roasting on bioavailability and bioactivities of Vigna angularis and potential of coffee-like beverage

Containing similar aroma and flavor profile of coffee after roasting, Vigna angularis have potential to be a caffeine-free coffee-like beverage. Microwave roasting process was conducted in a microwave oven at 600 W for 7, 14, and 21 min at 2-min intervals, and fluidized bed roasting process was conducted in a fluidized bed roaster at 200°C for 9, 18, and 27 min. In order to compare the roasted beans, color, fat, ash, crude protein, crude fiber, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content measurements were performed. In addition, effects of roasting methods on protein bioavailability and antinutritional factors were investigated. Sensory test was conducted to compare the coffee and coffee-like beverages. Fluidized-bed roasted beans had higher scores than microwave roasted beans in terms of sensory acceptability (p ≤ 0.05). Roasting process increased the total phenolic contents up to 25.32 (mg GAE/g) and the protein bioavailability up to 89.82 ± 0.11%. The results of this study revealed that roasting can be used as a tool to increase nutritive value, bioavailability, antioxidant activity, and potential of coffee-like beverage of V. angularis. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Since Vigna angularis beans contain similar aroma and flavor profile of the coffee after roasting, they have a potential to be a caffeine-free coffee alternative. Although coffee is very popular in demand, most of the coffee drinkers think that caffeine is very harmful. Having similar sensory scores as coffee beverages in certain roasting degrees, V. angularis beverages could be a delicious caffeine-free alternative.

The Analysis of Chlorogenic Acid and Caffeine Content and Its Correlation with Coffee Bean Color under Different Roasting Degree and Sources of Coffee (Coffea arabica Typica)

Coffee is one of the main economic crops in the world and is now widely grown throughout Taiwan. The process of roasting coffee begins with the heating and smooth expansion of raw beans, which leads to changes in appearance and color while affecting the flavor and taste of coffee. So far, most coffee manufacturers have used visual inspection or colorimeter methods to identify differences in coffee quality. Moreover, there is no literature discussing the correlation of roasted bean color with caffeine and chlorogenic acid content. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to analyze the chlorogenic acid and caffeine content and their correlation with bean color under different roasting degrees and from different sources to establish basic data for the rapid identification of coffee quality in the future. In this experiment, the coffee Coffea arabica typica from Dongshan, Gukeng, and Sumatra’s Indonesian rainforest was used, and the beans were roasted into four degrees: raw bean, light, medium, and dark roast, to investigate the appearance of the coffee beans and its correlation with caffeine and chlorogenic acid content. The results showed that with a higher roasting degree, caffeine content increased gradually, except for Indonesian beans, but the chlorogenic acid content in all samples showed a declining trend with the increase in roasting degree. The correlation between the chlorogenic acid content and the color space value of the coffee bean color shows that L*, a*, and h° in both ground and unground coffee are highly correlated. The C* value of the ground and unground coffee showed a correlation coefficient of r = 0.159 ns and 0.299 ns, respectively. The correlation between the caffeine content and the color space value of the unground coffee bean shows that the a*, b*, and C* value is highly correlated with the caffeine content. The color space values of ground coffee beans show no correlation with caffeine.

Insights on Single-Dose Espresso Coffee Capsules' Volatile Profile: From Ground Powder Volatiles to Prediction of Espresso Brew Aroma Properties

Single-dose coffee capsules have revolutionized the coffee market, fueling espresso coffee popularity and offering access to a wide selection of coffee blends. Nevertheless, scarce information related to coffee powder and brew’s combined volatile characterization is available. In this study, it is hypothesized that coffee brew aroma characteristics can be predicted based on coffee powder’s volatile composition. For this, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection (GC × GC-ToFMS) was used. The data were combined via chemometric tools to characterize in depth the volatile composition of eight blends of capsule-coffee powder and respective espresso brews, simulating the consumer’s perception. A total of 390 volatile compounds were putatively identified, 100 reported for the first time in roasted coffee or brews. Although the same chemical families were determined among the coffee powders and espresso brews, a different volatile profile was determined for each matrix. The Pearson correlation of coffee powders and respective brews allowed to identify 15 volatile compounds, mainly terpenic and esters recognized by their pleasant notes, with a strong relationship between the amounts present in both matrices. These compounds can be key markers to predict the volatile aroma potential of an espresso brew when analyzing the coffee powder.

Coffee flavour modification through controlled fermentation of green coffee beans by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia kluyveri: Part II. Mixed cultures with or without lactic acid bacteria

This study attempted to achieve coffee flavour biotransformation through controlled fermentation of sterilsed green coffee beans with a coculture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia kluyveri (FYco) and a sequential inoculation of Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris and the yeast coculture (FLYco). Isoamyl acetate, 2-phenylethyl acetate, and ethyl octanoate were produced by 5.76, 1.35 and 0.54 mg/kg, respectively, in FYco fermented green coffee beans. Compared to the green coffee bean fermented by the yeast monocultures in previous study, FYco led to a 1.2- and 4.1-times elevation in production of isoamyl acetate and 2-phenylethyl acetate, respectively. FLYco further increased acetate ester production by more than 2 times relative to FYco. The esters produced in FYco and FLYco partially survived the roasting process and imparted the roasted coffees with considerable fruity and winey aromas. The lactic acid fermentation in FLYco increased the acidity in green coffee beans, which promoted the formation of caramel-smelling furfurals and preservation of acidity and sweetness in the roasted coffees. Apart from the mere additions of flavour modification from individual strains, the proper combination of multiple strains can result in synergistic effects that enhanced the modulating activities of individual strains and further enhance flavour complexity of the resulted coffee.

New trends in coffee diterpenes research from technological to health aspects

The coffee oil is rich in diterpenes, mainly cafestol and kahweol, which are predominantly present in the esterified form with different fatty acids. Despite their beneficial effects including anti-angiogenic and anti-carcinogenic properties, they have been also associated with negative consequences such as elevation of blood cholesterol. Considering the coffee, it is an important human beverage with biological effects, including potentially health benefits or risks. Therefore, it may have important public health implications due to its widespread massive consumption, with major incidence in the varieties Arabica and Robusta. According to literatures, cafestol (182-1308 mg/100 g), kahweol (0-1265 mg/100 g) and 16-O-methycafestol (0-223 mg/100 g) are the main diterpenes in green and roasted coffee beans. Nevertheless, the coffee species, genetic background, and technological parameters like roasting and brewing have a clear effect on coffee diterpene content. Besides that, bibliographic data indicated that limited studies have specifically addressed the recent analytical techniques used for determination of this class of compounds, being HPLC and GC the most common approaches. For these reasons, this review aimed to actualize the occurrence and the profile of diterpenes in coffee matrices, focusing on the effect of species, roasting and brewing and on the other hand, introduce the current state on knowledge regarding coffee diterpenes determination which are nowadays highly regarded and widely used. In general, since diterpenes exhibit different health effects depending on their consumption dosage, several parameters needs to be carefully analyzed and considered when comparing the results.

Fully Automated Identification of Coffee Species and Simultaneous Quantification of Furfuryl Alcohol Using NMR Spectroscopy

BACKGROUND

Coffee is a popular beverage with two species, Coffea canephora and C. arabica, being commercially exploited. The quality and commercial value of coffee is dependent on species and processing. C. arabica typically obtains a higher price on the market compared to C. canephora. Coffee beans undergo roasting during processing, resulting in the formation of flavor compounds including furfuryl alcohol which has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify coffee species and other properties using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, specifically to conduct quantification of the roasting process contaminant furfuryl alcohol.

METHOD

The quantification of furfuryl alcohol was performed from the NMR spectra using the pulse length-based concentration (PULCON) methodology. Prior to NMR analysis, samples were extracted using deuterated chloroform.

RESULTS

Roasting experiments identified the maximum roasting temperature to be the most significant factor in the formation of furfuryl alcohol. Among the coffee species, C. canephora was found to contain a relatively lower amount of furfuryl alcohol compared to C. arabica. The roasting of wet processed coffee resulted in higher contents of furfuryl alcohol. Geographical origin and variety within species had no influence on the furfuryl alcohol content.

CONCLUSION

Validation results show that NMR spectroscopy is fit-for-purpose to obtain targeted information of coffee samples.

HIGHLIGHTS

The PULCON NMR methodology allows a simple, rapid and accurate determination of constituents of coffee.

Influence of cultivar and technological conditions on the volatile profile of virgin pistachio oils

The main aim of this work was to characterize the volatile profile of virgin pistachio oils produced from eight cultivars (Aegina, Avdat, Kastel, Kerman, Larnaka, Mateur, Napoletana and Sirora), under different technological conditions (temperature, roasting, use of whole nuts, screw speed and nozzle diameter), and compare it with those of commercial pistachio oils. Terpenes (15.57-41.05 mg/kg), accounting for ~97% of total volatiles, were associated with appreciated sensory properties, with α-pinene as the main volatile (14.47-37.09 mg/kg). Other terpene compounds such as limonene (0.11-3.58 mg/kg), terpinolene (0.00-1.61 mg/kg), β-pinene (0.12-1.20 mg/kg) and α-terpineol (0.00-1.17 mg/kg) were quantified at lower concentrations. Acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters and hydrocarbons only summed to ~3% of the total volatile compounds. The volatiles content greatly depended on the pistachio cultivar employed. The influence of extraction conditions was also very relevant; in particular, terpenes doubled (28.38-53.84 mg/kg) using whole pistachios for oil extraction, also being incremented by mild processing conditions. On the contrary, higher temperature or roasting decreased the terpene content (~50-25% respectively), and pyrazines appeared (up to 3.12 mg/kg).

Potential of lactic acid bacteria to modulate coffee volatiles and effect of glucose supplementation: fermentation of green coffee beans and impact of coffee roasting

BACKGROUND

Coffee flavor can be significantly influenced by microbial activities in spontaneous fermentation of coffee cherries. The potential of lactic acid bacteria for flavor modulation through controlled fermentation of green coffee beans has not been explored.

RESULTS

Fermentation by Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 with and without 1% w/w glucose supplementation led to modification of flavor-related constituents in green coffee beans, which translated into modulation of coffee volatiles upon roasting. The lactic acid bacteria consumed almost all glucose and fructose, leaving sucrose behind. Amino acids and malic, citric, and succinic acids were partially catabolized. Glucose supplementation enhanced lactic acid production but repressed acetic acid formation. After roasting at 235 °C for 9 min, 12 min, and 15 min, the levels of furfurals in glucose-supplemented-fermented coffee were 10.5-, 2.7-, and 1.1-fold higher than those in the controls (nonsupplemented-unfermented coffee); furthermore, the levels of pyrazines in the controls were 11.9-, 10.1-, and 6.5-fold higher than those in the treated coffee. Glucose-supplemented fermentation yielded roasted coffee with stronger caramelic and burnt characteristics but weaker nutty notes. In roasted non-supplemented-fermented coffee, volatile production was generally reduced, resulting in a milder overall aroma.

CONCLUSION

Lactic acid fermentation of green coffee beans is a new strategy for coffee flavor modulation, creating novel aroma characteristics. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Farm to Consumer: Factors Affecting the Organoleptic Characteristics of Coffee. II: Postharvest Processing Factors

The production and consumption of coffee are increasing despite the roadblocks to its agriculture and global trade. The unique, refreshing, and stimulating final cupping quality of coffee is the only reason for this rising production and consumption. Coffee quality is a multifaceted trait and is inevitably influenced by the way it is successively processed after harvesting. Reportedly, 60% of the quality attributes of coffee are governed by postharvest processing. The current review elaborates and establishes for the first time the relationship between different methods of postharvest processing of coffee and its varying organoleptic and sensory quality attributes. In view of the proven significance of each processing step, this review has been subdivided into three sections, secondary processing, primary processing, and postprocessing variables. Secondary processing addresses the immediate processing steps on the farm after harvest and storage before roasting. The primary processing section adheres specifically to roasting, grinding and brewing/extraction, topics which have been technically addressed more than any others in the literature and by industry. The postprocessing attribute section deals generally with interaction of the consumer with products of different visual appearance. Finally, there are still some bottlenecks which need to be addressed, not only to completely understand the relationship of varying postharvest processing methods with varying in-cup quality attributes, but also to devise the next generation of coffee processing technologies.

Coffee aroma: Chemometric comparison of the chemical information provided by three different samplings combined with GC-MS to describe the sensory properties in cup

This study is part of a wider project aiming to correlate the chemical composition of the coffee volatile fraction to its sensory properties with the end-goal of developing an instrumental analysis approach complementary to human sensory profiling. The proposed investigation strategy compares the chemical information concerning coffee aroma and flavor obtained with HS-SPME of the ground coffee and in-solution SBSE/SPME sampling combined with GC-MS to evaluate their compatibility with the cupping evaluation for quality control purposes. Roasted coffee samples with specific sensory properties were analyzed. The chemical results obtained by the three samplings were compared through multivariate analysis, and related to the samples' sensory attributes. Despite the differences between the three sampling approaches, data processing showed that the three methods provide the same kind of chemical information useful for sample discrimination, and that they could be used interchangeably to sample the coffee aroma and flavor.

Processing of a novel powdered herbal coffee (Pistacia Terebinthus L. Fruits Coffee) and its sensorial properties

In this study, the effects of roasting method, grinding and reduction in oil content on the characteristics of Pistacia terebinthus fruit coffee were investigated. Pistacia terebinthus fruit was roasted by microwave, pan and combined (microwave and convection) methods. The degree of roasting was determined by L*, a*, b* color values. The roasting times were 1,500, 1,900 and 1,620 s for microwave, pan and combined roasting methods, respectively. Cold press was used to reduce the oil content both prior to roasting and after the roasting. The oil content was reduced to around 21.5 % in all roasting methods to approach to that of coffee beans. Powdered Pistacia terebinthus fruit coffee brews were compared with each other and Turkish coffee in terms of aroma, flavor, acidity aftertaste, and overall acceptability. Sensorial analysis results showed that coffee brews prepared by pressing after the roasting process were better than those pressing prior to roasting.

Chlorogenic acid in raw materials for the production of chicory coffee

BACKGROUND

Chicory coffee is produced from traditional raw materials. Other materials are added to improve its aroma. The aim of this study was to test new raw materials with a high content of chlorogenic acid (CGA) as the criterion for their selection. This acid is degraded in the course of roasting and is a source of phenolic compounds affecting coffee aroma. For this reason, contents of CGAs were analyzed in traditional and new materials before and after roasting and compared with the chemicals formed in the roasted pure standard of chlorogenic acid (5-CQA).

RESULTS

It was shown that the novel raw materials contained considerable amounts of 5-CQA, frequently higher than in traditional chicory. The roasting process caused significant losses of 5-CQA in the tested raw materials, amounting to 55-91%. In turn, the analysis of volatile compounds in roasted materials showed the presence of certain phenolic and heterocyclic compounds that were also formed as degradation products of the pure 5-CQA chemical standard.

CONCLUSION

Novel raw materials, mainly chokeberry, artichoke and lovage, are rich sources of CGAs, particularly 5-CQA. Their application in the production of chicory coffee may result in an increased content of primarily phenolic compounds in its aroma.

Volatile profile of Madeira wines submitted to traditional accelerated ageing

The evolution of monovarietal fortified Madeira wines forced-aged by traditional thermal processing (estufagem) were studied in terms of volatiles. SPE extracts were analysed by GC-MS before and after heating at 45 °C for 3 months (standard) and at 70 °C for 1 month (overheating). One hundred and ninety volatile compounds were identified, 53 of which were only encountered in baked wines. Most chemical families increased after standard heating, especially furans and esters, up to 61 and 3-fold, respectively. On the contrary, alcohols, acetates and fatty acids decreased after heating. Varietal aromas, such as Malvasia's monoterpenic alcohols were not detected after baking. The accelerated ageing favoured the development of some volatiles previously reported as typical aromas of finest Madeira wines, particularly phenylacetaldeyde, β-damascenone and 5-ethoxymethylfurfural. Additionally, ethyl butyrate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl isovalerate, guaiacol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and γ-decalactone were also found as potential contributors to the global aroma of baked wines.

Pressurised liquid extraction of volatile compounds in coffee bean

In this work, we reported a novel application of pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) on coffee bean. The condition of PLE was carefully optimised with the aid of response surface methodology (RSM) including adjustment of experimental parameters (solvent type and sample to hydromatrix ratio) and other operating parameters (i.e. temperature (50-100°C), pressure (1000-2000 psi) and static extraction time (5-15 min)). The coffee extracts obtained under three different extraction conditions were evaluated through descriptive sensory analysis. Then, the results showed that those targeted compounds obtained from PLE were nearly three times higher (1473 ppm) than conventional solvent extraction (571 ppm). Thus, PLE demonstrated the feasibility of producing a series of coffee extracts under controllable extraction conditions in correlation with desirable sensory attributes. This approach has not previously reported to characterise the aroma of coffee bean.

Non-separative headspace solid phase microextraction-mass spectrometry profile as a marker to monitor coffee roasting degree

This study describes a non-separative headspace solid phase microextraction-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-MS) approach, in view of its application to online monitoring of a roasting process. The system can quickly provide representative and diagnostic fingerprints of the volatile fraction of samples and, in combination with appropriate chemometric pattern recognition and regression techniques, can successfully be applied to characterize, discriminate, and/or correlate patterns with the roasting process. Eighty coffee samples of different varieties, geographical origins, and blends were analyzed. The experimental HS-SPME-MS results show that the TIC fingerprint can be used to discriminate the degree of roasting; diagnostic ion abundance(s) or ratios were closely correlated with the roasting process; both could successfully be used as markers or analytical decision makers, to monitor roasting processes online, and to define quality and safety of roasted coffee.

Volatile profiling of high quality hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.): chemical indices of roasting

The study proposes an investigation strategy to identify sensitive, robust and reliable chemical markers of hazelnut roasting. A fully-automated and validated analytical method, based on Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometric detection (GC-MS), for effective off-line monitoring of changes in the volatile profile of high-quality hazelnuts was developed. Samples from two different harvests were submitted to roasting, following different time/temperature protocols and different technologies, enabling chemical changes to be correlated with technological processing and sensory quality. Chemical indices, expressed as analyte response ratio, were defined and their trend observed across roasting profiles. Reliability and robustness of chemical indices were also evaluated, in view of their application to on-line monitoring with Mass Spectrometry-based electronic nose technology (MS-nose). Experiments, simulating on-line chemical characterisation of the volatile fraction, were performed through a fully-automated system. The results confirmed: (a) the effectiveness of single process indicators of roasting selected by the separative method (5-methylfurfural, 1(H)-pyrrole, furfuryl alcohol, 1(H)-pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde, 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, dihydro-2(3H)-furanone, 5-methyl-(E)-2-hepten-4-one, acetic acid, pyridine, furfural, pyrazine, and several alkyl-pyrazines); and, (b) the reliability of proposed chemical indices: 5-methylfurfural/2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 5-methylfurfural/2-methylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine/2,3-dimethylpyrazine; these maintained a consistent trend versus harvest and sampling/analysis technology.

Determining the limits and confounders for the 2-pentyl furan breath test by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Aspergillus fumigatus produces 2-pentyl furan (2-PF), a volatile compound not produced by many other pathogens or normal human metabolism. 2-Pentyl furan has been detected in the breath of patients with invasive aspergillosis (IA) by SPME pre-concentration coupled with CG/MS providing the possibility of an attractive diagnostic test. The limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for peak integration were assessed both statistically and empirically respectively. 2-Pentyl furan was detected from 10 of 45 food stuffs tested. Levels were highest from soymilk (3 of 3 brands), lower from pumpkin, peanuts, rolled oats 2, Ensure Plus, tinned asparagus, tinned beans and a vegetable exact (Marmite). No 2-PF was detectable in anti-fungal medications used to treat IA or commonly used cosmetics tested. There was no difference in 2-PF breath levels between morning and afternoon or fasting and non fasting samples taken from healthy subjects eating a diet without 2-PF rich foods. 2-Pentyl furan levels were present in breath samples immediately after a mouth rinse with soy milk (P<0.001), and in some subjects after ingesting soy milk and rinsing their mouth with water. The breath test for 2-PF can be conducted without an overnight fast or at a specified time provided the mouth has been rinsed 30 min or more from when 2-PF containing products have been ingested.

Analysis of roasted and unroasted Pistacia terebinthus volatiles using direct thermal desorption-GCxGC-TOF/MS

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of roasting time on volatile components of Pistacia terebinthus L., a fruit growing wild in Turkey. The whole fruit samples were pan roasted for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25min at 200°C. Volatile compounds were isolated and identified using the direct thermal desorption (DTD) method coupled with comprehensive gas chromatography - time of flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOF/MS). The major components of the fresh hull of P. terebinthus were α-pinene (10.37%), limonene (8.93%), β-pinene (5.53%), 2-carene (4.47%) and γ-muurolene (4.29%). Eighty-three constituents were characterised from the volatiles of fresh whole P. terebinthus fruits obtained by direct thermal desorption with α-pinene (9.62%), limonene (5.54%), γ-cadinane (5.48%), β-pinene (5.46%), β-caryophyllene (5.24%) being the major constituents. The type and the number of constituents characterised were observed to change with differing roasting times. Limonene (5.56%), α-pinene (4.84%), 5-methylfurfural (4.78%), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF, 3.89%), dimethylmetoxyfuranone (3.67%) and 3-methyl-2(5H)furanone (3.12%) were identified as the major components among the 104 compounds characterised in the volatiles of P. terebinthus, roasted for 25min. In addition, volatiles of fully roasted P. terebinthus fruits contained furans and furanones (15.42%), pyridines (4.45%) and benzene derivatives (3.81%) as the major groups.

Detection of 2-pentylfuran in the breath of patients with Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus produces 2-pentylfuran (2-PF) when cultured on blood agar, nutrient agar and other media. As 2-PF is not known to be produced by mammalian metabolism we hypothesized that it is detectable in breath of patients colonized or infected with A. fumigatus. Breath was tested for 2-PF from normal subjects, those undergoing chemotherapy, and adults at risk of colonization or infection with A. fumigatus because of bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, or immune suppression. Breath samples were collected in five L tedlar bags and analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS) in MS-MS mode. 2-PF was not detected in breath 14 healthy controls, in one of 10 neutropenic subjects and 16 of 32 patients with lung disease. The sensitivity and specificity of the 2-PF breath tests when compared with recurrent isolation of aspergillus from sputum or from bronchoalveolar lavage over two months was 77% and 78% respectively. As 2-PF is not normally found in human breath its presence may reflect the active metabolism of A. fumigatus in the airways and form the basis of a new diagnostic breath test for Aspergillus infection.