Adaptation of an olfactometric system in a GC-FID in combination with GCxGC/MS to evaluate odor-active compounds of wine

A step-by-step approach to easily adapt and use a GC-FID as an olfactometer, as well as a detailed description of acquisition and interpretation of olfactometric data by the OSME (from the Greek word for odor, ὀσμή) method. A Merlot wine was used to exemplifly this strategy and its volatiles were characterized, rendering 43 volatiles in 1D-GC/MS and 142 in GCxGC/MS. GC-O showed the presence of 24 odor-active compounds and GCxGC/MS indicated aditional 14 odor-active compounds, which were found as coelutions. Six compounds (isoamyl acetate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, 3-methylthio-1-propanol, carvone, benzyl alcohol and nonanoic acid) were described in 1D-GC-O analyses as having distinct odors by the same and by different assessors. This fact indicated the presence of coeluting bands, which were resolved by GCxGC/MS. The adapted GC-O in combination with the use of GCxGC/MS may be a tool to more accurate investigation of the odor-active compounds of wine.

Role of gas chromatography and olfactometry to understand the wine aroma: Achievements denoted by multidimensional analysis

The human nose has been used as a detector in gas chromatography analysis to evaluate odoriferous compounds related to aroma and quality of wine. Several olfactometric techniques are available to access the description, intensity, and/or duration of the odor of each compound. Olfactometry can be associated with one-dimensional gas chromatography or multidimensional gas chromatography, including heart-cut gas chromatography and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography. Multidimensional gas chromatography may help to resolve coeluted compounds and detect important trace components for the aroma. The identification of odor-active compounds may help to differentiate wines according to terroir, grapes cultivars used in winemaking or types of aging, understand the role of fungal infection of grapes for wine quality, find the best management practices in vineyard and vinification to obtain the greatest quality. In addition, when the instrumental techniques are combined with sensory analysis, even more accurate information may be obtained regarding the overall wine aroma. This review discloses the state of the art of olfactometric methods and the analytical techniques used to investigate odor-active compounds such as one-dimensional gas chromatography, multidimensional gas chromatography, and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography. The advances in knowledge of wine aroma achieved with the use of these techniques in the target and profiling approaches were also discussed.

Carbonyl compounds in different stages of vinification and exposure risk assessment through Merlot wine consumption

The objective of this research was to estimate for the first time the transformations that the free form of some target carbonyl compounds may undergo during winemaking and assess the exposure risk to these compounds through the consumption of the Merlot commercial wines under study. Acrolein and furfural were found in grapes and the respective wines, although levels were observed to decline throughout the winemaking process. Formaldehyde was found in all stages of wine production in levels lower than the limit of quantification of the method and ethyl carbamate was not found in samples. Acetaldehyde seems to be a precursor of acetoin and 2,3-butanediol, since the levels of this aldehyde decreased along winemaking and the formation of the ester and alcohol was verified. Furfural levels decreased, while the occurrence of furan-containing compounds increased during winemaking. The formation of acetaldehyde during alcoholic fermentation and the potential environmental contamination of grapes with acrolein and furfural are considered as the critical points related to the presence of toxic carbonyl compounds in the wine. Acrolein was found in the samples under study in sufficient quantities to present risk to human health, while other potentially toxic carbonyl compounds did not result in risk. This study indicated for the first time the presence of acrolein in grapes suggesting that environmental pollution can play an important role in the levels of this aldehyde detected in wines. Reduction of the emission of this aldehyde to the environment may be achieved by replacing wood burning by another heat source in fireplaces or wood stones, and abandoning the practice of burning garbage and vegetation.

Influence of ripeness and maceration of the grapes on levels of furan and carbonyl compounds in wine - Simultaneous quantitative determination and assessment of the exposure risk to these compounds

The validated method based on the use of headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with the comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection (GC×GC/TOFMS) proved to be appropriate for this first simultaneous quantitative determination of six toxic compounds (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, ethyl carbamate, furan, furfural and acrolein) found in wines. Acetaldehyde and acrolein coeluted with other wine compounds, which indicated that difficulties could arise if only one-dimensional gas chromatography was used for the determination of these compounds. The advancement of the ripeness degree and increasing the grape maceration time seems to result in higher concentrations of toxic compounds. The exposure to furan, acrolein and ethyl carbamate through wine consumption may pose risks to consumer health, since calculated MOE values were lower than 10,000.