Characterization of Atypical Off-Flavor Compounds in Natural Cork Stoppers by Multidimensional Gas Chromatographic Techniques.

Natural cork stoppers with sensory deviations other than the typical cork taint were subgrouped according to their sensory descriptions and compared with unaffected control cork stoppers. The assessment of purge and trap extracts obtained from corresponding cork soaks was performed by heart-cut multidimensional gas chromatography-olfactometry (MDGC-O). The identification of compounds responsible for atypical cork taint detected in MDGC-O was further supported with additional multidimensional GC analysis in combination with mass spectrometric detection. Geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol were mainly found in cork stoppers described as moldy and cellarlike; 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine and 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine were found in cork stoppers described with green attributes. Across all cork subgroups, the impact compound for typical cork taint, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), was present and is therefore a good marker for cork taint in general. Another potent aroma compound, 3,5-dimethyl-2-methoxypyrazine (MDMP), was also detected in each subgroup, obviously playing an important role with regard to the atypical cork taint. Sensory deviations possibly affecting the wine could be generated by MDMP and its presence should thus be monitored in routine quality control.

Enantiodifferentiation of 3-sec-butyl-2-methoxypyrazine in different species using multidimensional and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatographic approaches.

With respect to the current hypothesis that natural amino acids may serve as starting material for the biosynthesis of alkyl-methoxypyrazines, the enantiomeric distribution of the potent aroma compound 3-sec-butyl-2-methoxypyrazine (SBMP) was determined in various species using heart-cut multidimensional gas chromatography (H/C MDGC) or comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC). Complementary to an earlier described separation on octakis-(6-O-methyl-2,3-di-O-pentyl)-γ-cyclodextrin used as chiral stationary phase, we found a reversal of the elution order of SBMP enantiomers on heptakis-(2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-ß-cyclodextrin, providing further confirmation options for that type of analysis. Optimization of the enantioseparation of SBMP in a single-oven H/C enantio-MDGC system involved the use of a dual-jet cryo modulator for trapping of analytes transferred from the achiral (1)D column to the chiral (2)D column before starting the (2)D enantioseparation with an independent temperature ramp. For the enantiodifferentiation by enantio-GC × GC, the modulation period had to be significantly shortened to avoid loss of chiral resolution gained in (1)D. H/C MDGC with mass spectrometric detection (MS) using selected ion monitoring (SIM) was sufficient for parts per billion level analysis, whereas H/C MDGC-MS/MS or GC × GC time-of-flight (TOF) MS were necessary for parts per trillion level analysis. In various vegetables, lady beetles and Vitis vinifera species analyzed, only (S)-SBMP was detected, supporting the hypothesis of natural amino acids serving as starting material for the biosynthesis of alkyl-methoxypyrazines.

Characterization and analysis of structural isomers of dimethyl methoxypyrazines in cork stoppers and ladybugs (Harmonia axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata).

The three constitutional isomers of dimethyl-substituted methoxypyrazines: 3,5-dimethyl-2-methoxypyrazine 1; 2,5-dimethyl-3-methoxypyrazine 2; and 2,3-dimethyl-5-methoxypyrazine 3 are potent flavor compounds with similar mass spectrometric, gas chromatographic, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic behavior. Therefore, unambiguous analytical determination is critical, particularly in complex matrices. The unequivocal identification of 1-3 could be achieved by homo- and heteronuclear NMR correlation experiments. The observed mass fragmentation for 1-3 is proposed and discussed, benefitting from synthesized partially deuterated 1 and 2. On common polar and apolar stationary phases used in gas chromatography (GC) 1 and 2 show similar behavior whereas 3 can be separated. In our focus on off-flavor analysis with respect to wine aroma, 1 has been described as a "moldy" off-flavor compound in cork and 2 as a constituent in Harmonia axyridis contributing to the so-called "ladybug taint," whereas 3 has not yet been described as a constituent of wine aroma. A successful separation of 1 and 2 could be achieved on octakis-(2,3-di-O-pentyl-6-O-methyl)-γ-cyclodextrin as stationary phase in GC. Applying heart-cut multidimensional GC analysis with tandem mass spectrometric detection we could confirm the presence of 1 as a "moldy" off-flavor compound in cork. However, in the case of Harmonia axyridis, a previous identification of 2 has to be reconsidered. In our experiments we identified the constitutional isomer 1, which was also found in Coccinella septempunctata, another species discussed with respect to the "ladybug taint." The analysis of such structurally related compounds is a demonstrative example for the importance of a chromatographic separation, as mass spectrometric data by itself could not guarantee the unequivocal identification.

Quantitative analysis of γ- and δ-lactones in wines using gas chromatography with selective tandem mass spectrometric detection.

RATIONALE: Aroma relevant γ- and δ-lactones are important flavor compounds in various foodstuffs. Their quantitative determination is essential for evaluating food sensory properties as well as food authenticity studies. METHODS: High-throughput head-space solid-phase microextraction as sample preparation, separation by capillary gas chromatography coupled with triple stage quadrupole mass spectrometry has been evaluated as the analytical method. RESULTS: Monitoring selected reaction mass fragments allowed sub-µg/L quantification of γ- and δ-lactones in complex wine matrices. CONCLUSIONS: Tandem mass spectrometry improves specific detection of γ- and δ-lactones, a prerequisite for reliable quantification at low-µg/L concentration levels in complex wine matrices.

Optimization in multidimensional gas chromatography applying quantitative analysis via a stable isotope dilution assay.

Trace level analyses in complex matrices benefit from heart-cut multidimensional gas chromatographic (MDGC) separations and quantification via a stable isotope dilution assay. Minimization of the potential transfer of co-eluting matrix compounds from the first dimension ((1)D) separation into the second dimension separation requests narrow cut-windows. Knowledge about the nature of the isotope effect in the separation of labeled and unlabeled compounds allows choosing conditions resulting in at best a co-elution situation in the (1)D separation. Since the isotope effect strongly depends on the interactions of the analytes with the stationary phase, an appropriate separation column polarity is mandatory for an isotopic co-elution. With 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines and an ionic liquid stationary phase as an example, optimization of the MDGC method is demonstrated and critical aspects of narrow cut-window definition are discussed.

Analysis of corky off-flavour compounds at ultra trace level with multidimensional gas chromatography-electron capture detection.

A robust method for routine quality control of corky off-flavour compounds in wine and cork soak matrices has been established. Based on an automated headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME), the method needs only marginal sample preparation and achieves low (sub-ng L(-1)) trace level detection limits (LODs) for the most relevant off-flavour compounds, such as 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), 2,3,4,6-tetrachloroanisole (TeCA) and 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). Particularly for wine matrix, reliable trace level quantification had only been achieved after applying heart-cutting multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC). Using a halogen-sensitive electron capture detector (ECD) and quantification with a stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA), LODs of 0.1ng L(-1) for TCA, TeCA and TBA could be obtained. Since a SIDA based quantification method is used with a non-mass spectrometric detector, the necessary chromatographic resolution of internal standard and target analyte peaks resulted from the use of highly deuterated [(2)H(5)]-isotopologues.

Ionic liquids as novel stationary phases in gas liquid chromatography: inverse or normal isotope effect?

The separation of deuterated and non-deuterated compounds in gas liquid partitioning chromatography (GLC) on silicone type stationary phase usually results in the inverse isotope effect. With ionic liquids (ILs) as stationary phase, however, this may show a totally different nature. The inverse isotope effect, in which heavier (deuterated) isotopic compounds (isotopologues) elute earlier, is to be expected when van der Waals (London) dispersion forces play a dominant role in the solute-stationary phase interaction. Such (apolar) interactions seem to play only a minor role when ILs are the stationary phases, leading to only a marginal inverse isotope effect, e.g. for the separation of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole and its [(2)H(5)]-isotopologue on 1,12-di(tripropylphosphonium) dodecane bis(trifluoromethansulfonyl) amide (commercialized as SLB-IL59, Supelco). Indeed, with the most polar stationary phase available (commercialized as SLB-IL111; Supelco), this separation showed a normal isotope effect. Further examples are presented and the nature of the isotope effect observed is discussed.

Trace level analysis of corky off-flavor compounds: development of a new analytical method based on solid phase extraction and analysis by multidimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection.

This work describes the development of a trace level (<1 ngL(-1)) analysis of haloanisoles in complex wine matrix. The suggested method involves sample preparation based on solid phase extraction, a clean-up to remove acidic compounds, concentration of the haloanisole fraction and large volume on-column injection into a multidimensional GC-MS system. Mass spectrometric detection in the selected ion mode allowed reliable quantification of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) or 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA), via their highly deuterated ([(2)H5]) isotopologues as internal standards (stable isotope dilution analysis; SIDA), which had prior been synthesized in house. The development of this new method had become necessary, as a one-dimensional HS-SPME-GC-ECD method, routinely applied for analysis of TCA in cork soaks, had to be extended for TeCA and TBA determination, but failed due to co-elutions within wine matrices. The newly developed SPE//MDGC-MS method provided detection limits well below olfactory thresholds of the analytes with 0.05 ngL(-1) (LOD), 0.19 ngL(-1) (LOQ) for TCA, 0.06 ngL(-1) (LOD), 0.21 ngL(-1) (LOQ) for TeCA, and 0.09 ngL(-1) (LOD), 0.34 ngL(-1) (LOQ) for TBA.