Montserrat Mestres

Analysis of organic sulfur compounds in wine aroma

Sulfur-containing compounds in wines have been extensively studied because of their effect on wine aroma. The aim of this paper was to give an overview on the analytical methods developed to determine them in wines with special emphasis on gas chromatographic methods, as well as the results obtained. In addition, the problems occurring in application of the common extraction procedures, such as liquid-liquid extraction, static and dynamic headspace and solid-phase microextraction, are presented and discussed.

Data fusion methodologies for food and beverage authentication and quality assessment – A review

The ever increasing interest of consumers for safety, authenticity and quality of food commodities has driven the attention towards the analytical techniques used for analyzing these commodities. In recent years, rapid and reliable sensor, spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques have emerged that, together with multivariate and multiway chemometrics, have improved the whole control process by reducing the time of analysis and providing more informative results. In this progression of more and better information, the combination (fusion) of outputs of different instrumental techniques has emerged as a means for increasing the reliability of classification or prediction of foodstuff specifications as compared to using a single analytical technique. Although promising results have been obtained in food and beverage authentication and quality assessment, the combination of data from several techniques is not straightforward and represents an important challenge for chemometricians. This review provides a general overview of data fusion strategies that have been used in the field of food and beverage authentication and quality assessment.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction analysis of volatile sulphides and disulphides in wine aroma.

Sulphur compounds (S-compounds) are important constituents of wine off-flavours. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography coupled to flame photometric detection (GC-FPD) was used to develop a suitable method to analyse volatile sulphides and disulphides. This is a very simple and fast technique which gives good reproducibility at microgram/l levels (relative standard deviations < 10%). The analytes were extracted from the headspace of the samples by using either polydimethylsiloxane or polyacrylate coated fused-silica fibers in an SPME unit. Then, the fiber was inserted into the injector of a gas chromatograph and the extracted S-compounds were thermally desorbed. The influence of different parameters, such as ionic strength, stirring, headspace volume, ethanol concentration, time and temperature of extraction, was studied. The extraction of the fibers varies considerably for the different sulphur compounds studied. The most volatile compounds were the least extracted by the coating fibers tested. The standard additions technique, applied to real samples, gave the recoveries > 94%. The detection limits range between 3 micrograms/l and 50 ng/l. The overall process was successfully applied to identify and quantify S-compounds in white and red wines.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction analysis of 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines in wines

A procedure to determine 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines in wines is described. It is based on the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) technique after a clean-up of the sample by distillation (previously acidified to pH 0.5) to remove ethanol and other volatile compounds that can interfere in the SPME. Determination is performed by means of capillary gas chromatography using a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. The method allows quantification of 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine, 3-sec-butyl-2-methoxypyrazine and 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine at their natural concentration levels and below their sensory thresholds in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines. The method was successfully applied to experimental red wines and the evolution of their pyrazine contents during the winemaking process was monitored. Pyrazine content increased during the first maceration day but did not change significantly during alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. Final contents in wines were 12-27 ng/l of 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine and 5-10 ng/l of 3-sec-butyl-2-methoxypyrazine.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction of sulphides and disulphides using Carboxen–polydimethylsiloxane fibers in the analysis of wine aroma

Headspace solid-phase microextraction was applied to gas chromatography coupled to flame photometric detection to develop a method for analysing volatile sulphides and disulphides in wine. The Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane-coated silica fiber was tested and different parameters such as presampling time, ionic strength, stirring, headspace volume, ethanol concentration, time and temperature of extraction were optimized to make extraction as efficient as possible. The optimized conditions enabled limits of detection to be obtained at the ng/l levels. The fiber tested has a strong affinity for the sulphur compounds studied and enables these analytes to be quantitatively determined in wines. The Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber is more efficient at extracting than fibers such as those which are polydimethylsiloxane-coated and polyacrylate-coated, but its repeatability is worse. The overall process was successfully applied to identify and quantify sulphur compounds in white, red, rose and vintage wines.

Application of headspace solid-phase microextraction to the determination of sulphur compounds with low volatility in wines

Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) has been used for determining sulphur compounds with low volatility in wines. With this technique, handling of samples is minimal so undesirable loses and reactions between compounds are prevented. Furthermore, this kind of extraction is fast and does not require any organic solvent. Under optimal conditions, the HS-SPME, using a new fibre coated with Stable Flex divinylbenzene-Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane, makes possible the quantification of sixteen sulphur compounds with low volatility which may be present in wines. The limits of detection for the analytes studied ranged between 0.05 and 10 microg/l, and the recovery and repeatability found were acceptable. The method developed was successfully applied to determine the concentration of the target analytes in varietal wines from the Catalonian region (Spain) with some aromatic defects such as an odour of rubber, onion, rotten, unpleasant herbaceous, etc. The results show that the contents of the sulphur compounds studied in these wines are higher than in those without defects. This shows a relationship exists between the presence of sulphur compounds and the quality of the wine aroma.

Determination of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole in wines by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-electron-capture detection.

One of the most important problems in the wine world, today, is cork taint, which often has been chemically identified as 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). The perception limit of this compound is very low (close to 10 and 40 ng/l for white and red wines, respectively), so, even at such low concentrations, its presence becomes a problem in wine quality. A method for the analysis of TCA in white and red wines has been developed in our laboratory, using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The method, which has been optimized using an experimental design, involves the use of fibres coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and allows the analysis of TCA at very low concentrations (under 500 ng/l) with good accuracy (RSD < or = 10%). The limits of quantification of the method are 5 and 8 ng/l for white and red wines, respectively, while the limit of detection is 1 ng/l for both types of wine.

Simultaneous analysis of thiols, sulphides and disulphides in wine aroma by headspace solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography

This paper deals with the improvement of a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method, developed in a previous work, in order to analyse, simultaneously, thiols, sulphides and disulphides in wines. This can be achieved by applying Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane fibres and a cryogenic trap to focus the analytes. Under optimum conditions, the HS-SPME procedure developed shows low limits of detection for the sulphides and disulphides studied (0.05-3 micrograms/l) and the thiols can also be analysed and detected at very low levels (0.5-1 microgram/l) with acceptable recoveries and repeatability.

Determination of 4-ethylguaiacol and 4-ethylphenol in red wines using headspace-solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography

A method for analysing 4-ethylguaiacol and 4-ethylphenol in the aroma of red wines using headspace-solid-phase microextraction is presented. The fibres used were coated with 100 microm of polydimethylsiloxane. Parameters like ionic strength, agitation of the sample, sample volume, temperature of the sample and adsorption/desorption times were studied and optimised to obtain the best extraction results. The linearity of the response was studied in the usual concentration ranges in wines (4-ethylguaiacol, 40-400 microg/l; 4-ethylphenol, 200-1800 microg/l). Repeatability of the method was determined, and the relative standard deviation was about 10%. Limits of detection and limits of quantification were also determined, and the values found were 1 and 5 microg/l for 4-ethylguaiacol and 2 and 5 microg/l for 4-ethylphenol, respectively. All these values were under the sensory thresholds established for these volatile phenols. The presence of interferences due to the matrix composition implies the use of the standard addition technique for both compounds quantification.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction method for determining 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines in musts by means of polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene fibres

A method for determining 2-methoxypyrazine, 3-methyl-, 3-ethyl-, 3-isopropyl-, 3-sec.-butyl- and 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine in musts is described. It involves headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and determination by capillary gas chromatography using nitrogen-phosphorous detection. Pyrazines were satisfactorily separated under isothermal conditions, and quantification was carried out using 3-isopropyl-2-ethoxypyrazine as the internal standard. Ionic strength, time and temperature were studied in order to make SPME as efficient as possible. The developed method enabled detection limits at the 0.1 ng(-1) levels for some of the analytes. The method was successfully applied to identify and quantify different 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines in experimental musts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Their evolution during the ripening was also monitored.