Use of solid phase microextraction in diffusive sampling of the atmosphere generated by different essential oils

Applications of Ene-Reductases in the Synthesis of Flavors and Fragrances

Flavors and fragrances (F&F) are interesting organic compounds in chemistry. These compounds are widely used in the food, cosmetic, and medical industries. Enzymatic synthesis exhibits several advantages over natural extraction and chemical preparation, including a high yield, stable quality, mildness, and environmental friendliness. To date, many oxidoreductases and hydrolases have been used to biosynthesize F&F. Ene-reductases (ERs) are a class of biocatalysts that can catalyze the asymmetric reduction of α,β-unsaturated compounds and offer superior specificity and selectivity; therefore, ERs have been increasingly considered an ideal alternative to their chemical counterparts. This review summarizes the research progress on the use of ERs in F&F synthesis over the past 20 years, including the achievements of various scholars, the differences and similarities among the findings, and the discussions of future research trends related to ERs. We hope this review can inspire researchers to promote the development of biotechnology in the F&F industry.

Untargeted Profiling and Differentiation of Volatiles in Varieties of Meat Using GC Orbitrap MS

Volatile compounds play vital roles in food sensory attributes and food quality. An analysis of volatile compounds could illustrate the sensory attributes at the microscale level. Here, untargeted profiling approaches for volatiles in five most-consumed meat species were established using headspace SPME-GC/high resolution Orbitrap MS. An extended high-resolution database of meat volatile compounds was established to enhance the qualification accuracy. Using sulfur-containing compounds, aldehydes, and ketones as the research model, the parameters including fiber coating types, extraction temperature, extraction time, and desorbing time were optimized. Principle component analysis, volcano analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis were applied to run the classification and the selection of discriminant markers between meat varieties, respectively. Different varieties could be largely distinguished according to the volatiles' profiles. 1-Octen-3-ol, 1-octen-3-one, 2-pentyl furan and some other furans degraded from n-6 fatty acids would contribute to distinguishing duck meat from other categories, while methyl esters mainly from oleic acid as well as dimethyl sulfoxide and carbon disulfide possibly produced from the sulfur-containing amino acids contributed to the discrimination of beef. Therefore, volatiles' profiling not only could interpret the aroma style in meat but also could be another promising method for meat differentiation and authentication.

Rapid analysis of volatile components from Teucrium polium L. by nanoporous silica-polyaniline solid phase microextraction fibre

INTRODUCTION

The development of simple, rapid and solvent-free methods for the analysis of essential oils is highly desirable. Microwave-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction (MA-HS-SPME) is a new sampling and concentration technique for the extraction of volatile components in medicinal plants. The main advantages of this method are the reduction of extraction time and of organic solvent.

OBJECTIVE

A highly porous Santa Barbara amorphous (SBA-15)/polyaniline material was prepared in order to produce a SPME fibre. The proposed fibre was evaluated for the extraction of the volatile component of Teucrium polium L.

METHODOLOGY

A homemade MA-HS-SPME apparatus was used for the extraction of volatile components. Highly porous SBA-15/polyaniline materials were prepared for SPME. The prepared nanomaterial was immobilized onto a stainless steel wire for fabrication of the SPME fibre.

RESULTS

The SBA-15/polyaniline nanonporous fibre could adsorb volatile components of T. polium efficiently. In comparison with a HD method, the proposed technique could equally monitor almost all the components of the sample, but in an easier way that was rapid and required a much lower amount of sample.

CONCLUSION

The experimental results showed that the nanoporous fibre was suitable for the semi-quantitative study of the composition of essential oils in plant materials and monitoring the variations in the volatile components of the plants.

Bifunctional ultrasound assisted extraction and determination of Elettaria cardamomum Maton essential oil

A new hyphenated extraction method composed of ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE)-optimized ultrasound assisted emulsification microextraction (USAEME) was developed for the extraction and preconcentration of the essential oil of Elettaria cardamomum Maton. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and optimization was performed using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Ultrasound played two different roles in the extraction of the essential oil. First, as a source of sufficient energy to break the oil-containing glands in order to release the oil, and second as an emulsifier to disperse the organic phase within water. The effective parameters (factors) of USAEME including volume of extraction solvent (C(2)H(4)Cl(2)), extraction temperature and ultrasonic time were optimized by using a central composite design (CCD). The optimal conditions were 120 μL for extraction solvent volume, 32.5 °C for temperature and 10.5 min for ultrasonic time. The linear dynamic ranges (LDRs) were 0.01-50 mg L(-1) with the determination coefficients in the range of 0.9990-0.9999. The limits of detection (LODs) and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 0.001-0.007 mg L(-1) and 3.6-6.3%, respectively. The enrichment factors were 93-98. The main components of the extracted essential oil were α-terpenyl acetate (46.0%), 1,8-cineole (27.7%), linalool (5.3%), α-terpineol (4.0%), linalyl acetate (3.5%).

Relative characterization of rosemary samples according to their geographical origins using microwave-accelerated distillation, solid-phase microextraction and Kohonen self-organizing maps

For centuries, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) has been used to prepare essential oils which, even now, are highly valued due to their various biological activities. Nevertheless, it has been noted that these activities often depend on the origin of the rosemary plant and the method of extraction. Since both of these quality parameters can greatly influence the chemical composition of rosemary oil, an original analytical method was developed where "dry distillation" was coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and then a data mining technique using the Kohonen self-organizing map algorithm was applied to the data obtained. This original approach uses the newly described microwave-accelerated distillation technique (MAD) and HS-SPME; neither of these techniques require external solvent and so this approach provides a novel "green" chemistry sampling method in the field of biological matrix analysis. The large data set obtained was then treated with a rarely used chemometric technique based on nonclassical statistics. Applied to 32 rosemary samples collected at the same time from 12 different sites in the north of Algeria, this method highlighted a strong correlation between the volatile chemical compositions of the samples and their origins, and it therefore allowed the samples to be grouped according to geographical distribution. Moreover, the method allowed us to identify the constituents that exerted the most influence during classification.

Determination of essential oil components of Artemisia haussknechtii Boiss. using simultaneous hydrodistillation-static headspace liquid phase microextraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometry

A novel method for extraction and analysis of volatile compounds of Artemisia haussknechtii Boiss., using simultaneous hydro-distillation and static headspace liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SHD-SHLPME-GCMS) is developed. SHLPME parameters including nature of extracting solvent, headspace volume and design, extraction time, sample weight and microdrop volume were optimized. Comparison of hydro-distillation gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and HD-SHLPME-GCMS showed that the latter method is fast, simple, inexpensive and effective for the analysis of volatile compounds of aromatic plants. By using this method, 56 compounds were extracted and identified for Artemisia haussknechtii Boiss. The main constituents of its essential oil that were extracted by HD-SHLPME method, include camphor (41.01%), 1,8-cineole (32.35%), cis-davanone (3.68%), 4-terpineol (2.99%), linalool (2.84%), beta-fenchyl alcohol (2.72%), and borneol (2.58%).

Combination of analytical and microbiological techniques to study the antimicrobial activity of a new active food packaging containing cinnamon or oregano against E. coli and S. aureus

The aim of this work is the optimization and application of a group of analytical and microbiological techniques in the study of the activity of essential oils (EOs) incorporated in a new antimicrobial packaging material and the research in depth of the interaction between the microbial cells and the individual compounds present in the active material. For this purpose the antimicrobial activity of the active packaging containing cinnamon or oregano was evaluated against E. coli and S. aureus. The vapour phase activity and the direct contact between the antimicrobial agents themselves, or once incorporated in the packaging material, and the microbial cells have been studied. The direct contact was studied using a broth dilution method. The vapour phase was evaluated by using a new method which involves the use of a filter disk containing the EOs. Furthermore, the kill time assay was used to determine the exposure time for the maximum efficiency in packaging, and transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate the antimicrobial activity and the possible mechanism of action against E. coli and S. aureus. Finally, the compounds absorbed by cells were identified. The results showed that the techniques used provide relevant information about the antibacterial activity of cinnamon and oregano in direct contact as well as in the vapour phase. The antimicrobial packaging showed a fast efficiency which supports its likely application as a food packaging material. Bacteria treated with EOs exhibit a wide range of significant abnormalities; these include formation of blebs, coagulation of cytoplasmatic constituents, collapse of the cell structure and lack of cytoplasmatic material. Some of these observations are correlated to the ability of some of these substances to disrupt envelop structure, especially the inner membrane. After an extraction from dead cells, cinnamaldehyde was detected by GC-MS in E. coli exposed to the active packaging containing cinnamon.

Quantifying sesquiterpene and oxygenated terpene emissions from live vegetation using solid-phase microextraction fibers

Biogenic terpenes play important roles in ecosystem functioning and atmospheric chemistry. Some of these compounds are semi-volatile and highly reactive, such as sesquiterpenes and oxygenated terpenes, and are thus difficult to quantify using traditional air sampling and analysis methods. We developed an alternative approach to quantify emissions from live branches using a flow through enclosure and sample collection on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers. This method allows for collection and analysis of analytes with minimal sample transfer through tubing to reduce the potential for losses. We characterized performance characteristics for 65 microm polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fibers using gas chromatography followed by mass spectrometry and optimized experimental conditions and procedures for field collections followed by laboratory analysis. Using 10-45 min sampling times and linear calibration curves created from mixtures of terpenes, emissions of methyl chavicol, an oxygenated terpene, and an array of sesquiterpenes were quantified from a Ponderosa pine branch. The detection limit was 4.36 pmol/mol (ppt) for methyl chavicol and 16.6 ppt for beta-caryophyllene. Concentrations determined with SPME fibers agreed with measurements made using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) within the estimated error of the method for well calibrated compounds. This technique can be applied for quantification of biogenic oxygenated terpene and sesquiterpene emissions from live branches in the field.

Vapor-phase activities of cinnamon, thyme, and oregano essential oils and key constituents against foodborne microorganisms

The aim of the study presented here was to gain knowledge about the vapor-phase antimicrobial activity of selected essential oils and their major putatively active constituents against a range of foodborne bacterial and fungal strains. In a first step, the vapor-phase antimicrobial activities of three commercially available essential oils (EOs)-cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and oregano (Origanum vulgare)-were evaluated against a wide range of microorganisms, including Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterocolitica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella choleraesuis), Gram-positive bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Enterococcus faecalis), molds (Penicillium islandicum and Aspergillus flavus), and a yeast (Candida albicans). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were generally lower for oregano EO than for the thyme and cinnamon EOs, especially against the relatively resistant Gram-negative. The persistence of the EOs' antimicrobial activities over time was assessed, and changes in the composition of the atmosphere they generated over time were determined using single-drop microextraction (SDME) in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and subsequent analysis of the data by principal component analysis (PCA). More relevant chemicals were selected. In addition, the vapor-phase activities of putatively key constituents of the oils were screened against representative Gram-positive (L. monocytogenes) and Gram-negative (S. choleraesuis) bacteria, a mold (A. flavus), and a yeast (C. albicans). Of the tested compounds, cinnamaldehyde, thymol, and carvacrol showed the strongest antimicrobial effectiveness, so their MICs, defined as the minimum vapor concentrations that completely inhibited detectable growth of the microorganisms, were calculated. To check for possible interactions between components present in the EOs, cinnamon EO was fortified with cinnamaldehyde and thyme EO with thymol, and then the antimicrobial activities of the fortified oils were compared to those of the respective unfortified EOs using fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices and by plotting inhibition curves as functions of the vapor-phase concentrations. Synergistic effects were detected for cinnamaldehyde on A. flavus and for thymol on L. monocytogenes, S. choleraesuis, and A. flavus. In all other cases the fortification had additive effects, except for cinnamaldehyde's activity against S. choleraesuis, for which the effect was antagonistic. Finally, various microorganisms were found to cause slight changes over time to the atmospheres generated by all of the EOs (fortified and unfortified) except the fortified cinnamon EO.

Potential of solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography for quarantine-required detection of wood packaging in shipping containers

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography (GC) was used to detect terpene hydrocarbons inside shipping containers entering New Zealand. The utility of this system for the rapid detection of undeclared wood packaging for quarantine purposes was demonstrated. A portable dynamic air-sampling device was built to house a SPME fibre and allow the air from shipping containers to be sampled. The effects of sample flow rate and sampling time were investigated and sampling conditions of 100 mL/min for 30 s were chosen to keep sampling within the linear range. A CV of less than 15% (n = 12) was obtained for all the compounds analysed under these conditions. To obtain an estimate for the limit of detection (LOD) for the terpene hydrocarbons of interest, small quantities of lime oil were placed in an empty shipping container and the air inside was analysed. LOD (S/N = 3) was estimated to be in the order of 50-100 ng/L of air using GC with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID). Finally, the device was tested in fully laden containers and was shown to be effective for trapping terpene hydrocarbons indicative of wood packaging.

Development of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with microwave distillation and simultaneous solid-phase microextraction for rapid determination of volatile constituents in ginger

In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) following microwave distillation and solid-phase microextraction (MD-SPME) was developed for the analysis of essential oil compounds in fresh ginger. In the proposed method, the isolation, extraction and concentration of volatile components in ginger were carried out in one single step, using the MD-SPME technique, and the analytes on the SPME fiber were analyzed by GC-MS. Some parameters, including SPME fiber coating, microwave power and irradiation time, were optimized. The optimal experiment parameters obtained were: 65 microm PDMS/DVB SPME fiber, a microwave power of 400 W and an irradiation time of 2 min. To demonstrate its feasibility, MD-SPME was compared with conventional SPME for the extraction of essential oil compounds in fresh ginger. Using MD-SPME followed by GC-MS, 54 compounds were separated and identified in ginger, which mainly included geranial (5.25%), zingiberene (15.48%), beta-sesquiphellandrene (5.54%) and beta-phellandrene (22.84%), whereas only 39 compounds were separated and identified by conventional SPME followed by GC-MS. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) values of less than 10% show that the proposed method has good repeatability. The result show that MD-SPME, followed by GC-MS, is a simple, rapid, solvent-free method for the determination of volatile compounds in ginger.