Ennio La Notte

Rapid screening for anthocyanins and anthocyanin dimers in crude grape extracts by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and efficient method using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS) for fast screening large numbers of anthocyanins and anthocyanin dimers in different grape skin extracts, without further sample clean-up procedures, was developed. A good separation of most detected anthocyanins was achieved in a run time of 15 min. Identification of anthocyanin pigments required a combination of several information: UV-vis spectra, MS and MS/MS spectra, and elution pattern. Many compounds have been here detected for the first time and their structures tentatively elucidated.

Influence of Training System on Volatile and Sensory Profiles of Primitivo Grapes and Wines

The enhancement of grape aroma and the investigation of the relationships between grape and wine composition are important given the growing interest in wines with distinctive varietal character. Each training system involves specific grapegrowing conditions, which affect the concentration of volatile metabolites of grape. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of three training systems, including little tree, bilateral Guyot, and four rays, on the volatile composition of Primitivo grape and on the volatile composition and sensory properties of the corresponding wine in Apulia region of Italy. Free and bound volatile fractions were evaluated by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Sensory analysis was performed by a panel of trained judges. Results showed that the little tree and bilateral Guyot training systems improved the accumulation of aroma precursors and volatile compounds in grape and wine and the sensory characteristics of the wine.

Electronic nose and GC-MS to investigate the volatile component of an italian traditional pasta

The present work investigated the possibility of combining headspace sampling–solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis and an array of semiconductor gas sensors to study the volatile fraction of traditional Italian cereal foods. In particular, it studied a pasta recognized as typical by the Italian laws and made with a semolina obtained from a toasted durum wheat. The GC-MS analysis allowed the identification of several volatile compounds, almost always in small concentrations, in raw materials and in fresh and dried pasta. The data deriving from the application of the GC-MS and electronic nose analyses were submitted to principal component analysis to evaluate the suitability of these techniques for emphasizing differences due to composition and/or processing. These preliminary results showed that both the analytical techniques allowed good discrimination among the meals but not among the pasta samples. RESEARCH