Optimization of SPME-Arrow-GC/MS Method for Determination of Free and Bound Volatile Organic Compounds from Grape Skins.

(1) Background: Solid phase microextraction (SPME)-Arrow is a new extraction technology recently employed in the analysis of volatiles in food materials. Grape volatile organic compounds (VOC) have a crucial role in the winemaking industry due to their sensory characteristics of wine.; (2) Methods: Box-Behnken experimental design and response surface methodology were used to optimise SPME-Arrow conditions (extraction temperature, incubation time, exposure time, desorption time). Analyzed VOCs were free VOCs directly from grape skins and bound VOCs released from grape skins by acid hydrolysis.; (3) Results: The most significant factors were extraction temperature and exposure time for both free and bound VOCs. For both factors, an increase in their values positively affected the extraction efficiency for almost all classes of VOCs. For free VOCs, the optimum extraction conditions are: extraction temperature 60 °C, incubation time 20 min, exposure time 49 min, and desorption time 7 min, while for the bound VOCs are: extraction temperature 60 °C, incubation time 20 min, exposure time 60 min, desorption time 7 min.; (4) Conclusions: Application of the optimized method provides a powerful tool in the analysis of major classes of volatile organic compounds from grape skins, which can be applied to a large number of samples.

Effect of Skin Maceration Treatment on Aroma Profiles of Kiwi Wines Elaborated with Actinidia deliciosa "Xuxiang" and A. chinensis "Hort16A".

Background: Kiwi has become an important and promising fruit to ferment kiwi wine in recent years in China. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of skin maceration treatment on aroma profiles of kiwi wine elaborated with two representative kiwi varieties (Actinidia deliciosa "Xuxiang" and A. chinensis "Hort16A"). Methods: Aroma profiles were characterized using solid-phase microextraction GC-MS method. Principal component analysis was used to separate and group the wines as well as for identifying the aroma components that best differentiate the wines. Results: Esters and alcohols were the two most abundant compounds in kiwi wine. Skin maceration treatment gave rise to a positive effect of aroma profiles, resulting in a significant increase of terpenes. A total of 11 volatile compounds were found at concentrations higher than their odor threshold in kiwi wine samples. Conclusions: The study could play a role in laying a foundation for the development of the kiwi fruit wine industry. Highlights: Different aroma profiles were presented because of variety differences. Skin maceration treatment gave rise to a positive effect of aroma profiles, which resulted in a significant increase of terpenes.

Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of cell wall components and prenyl lipids in the leaves of Tilia x euchlora trees growing under salt stress.

The study was focused on assessing the presence of arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) and pectins within the cell walls as well as prenyl lipids, sodium and chlorine content in leaves of Tilia x euchlora trees. The leaves that were analyzed were collected from trees with and without signs of damage that were all growing in the same salt stress conditions. The reason for undertaking these investigations was the observations over many years that indicated that there are trees that present a healthy appearance and trees that have visible symptoms of decay in the same habitat. Leaf samples were collected from trees growing in the median strip between roadways that have been intensively salted during the winter season for many years. The sodium content was determined using atomic spectrophotometry, chloride using potentiometric titration and poly-isoprenoids using HPLC/UV. AGPs and pectins were determined using immunohistochemistry methods. The immunohistochemical analysis showed that rhamnogalacturonans I (RG-I) and homogalacturonans were differentially distributed in leaves from healthy trees in contrast to leaves from injured trees. In the case of AGPs, the most visible difference was the presence of the JIM16 epitope. Chemical analyses of sodium and chloride showed that in the leaves from injured trees, the level of these ions was higher than in the leaves from healthy trees. Based on chromatographic analysis, four poly-isoprenoid alcohols were identified in the leaves of T. x euchlora. The levels of these lipids were higher in the leaves from healthy trees. The results suggest that the differences that were detected in the apoplast and symplasm may be part of the defensive strategy of T. x euchlora trees to salt stress, which rely on changes in the chemical composition of the cell wall with respect to the pectic and AGP epitopes and an increased synthesis of prenyl lipids.

Chemical Composition and Content of Lipophilic Seed Extractives of Some Abies and Picea Species.

The chemical content and composition of the lipophilic extracts from seeds of some fir species: Abies alba, A. cephalonica, A. concolor, and A. koreana, as well as of a few spruce species: Picea abies, P. orientalis, and P. pungens, were examined. The amount of lipophilic extractives is diverse among the tree species and it varies from 9.8% to 41% of seeds. The chemical characterization showed significant differences, not only in the content, but also in the composition of extractives. However, most of the identified compounds like resin alcohols, -aldehydes, and -acids, as well as fatty acids, were detected in the seed extracts of all the examined tree species. The dominating identified compound group was esterified fatty acids (2.5 - 55.4% w/w of dry extract), occurring mainly as tri- and diglycerides, as well as free acids. The main representatives of this group were linoleic and oleic acids. The resin acids, among which the main were abietic, neoabietic, dehydroabietic, and palustric acids, were also detected at high levels, from 1.8% to 16.9% of the dry seed extracts. Phytosterols, tocopherols, resin hydrocarbons, and resin esters, as well as fatty alcohols were also identified. The coniferous tree seeds, as a renewable natural material, could represent a prospective raw material for producing valuable chemicals.

Immunostimulating activity of polyhydric alcohol isolated from Taxus cuspidata.

A polyhydric alcohol (PAL) was isolated from Taxus cuspidata and its immunostimulatory activities were assessed. The primary monosaccharide composition of the PAL was determined to be glucose, where HPAEC analysis showed no significant amount of any other sugars. However, glycerol and xylitol were identified as the main sugar alcohols. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis indicated that the purified PAL is a complex glycitol, which structurally contains significant amount of hydroxyl groups. MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy also demonstrated that PAL is a complex glycitol built in hexose polymerization. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay showed that the PAL stimulates the release of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, treatment of RAW 264.7 cells with PAL for 24h remarkably increased the phosphorylation levels of ERK, p38 and JNK in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the total protein levels of ERK (t-ERK), p38 (t-p38) and JNK (t-JNK) remained unchanged. These results clearly demonstrate that PAL stimulates the immune response in RAW 264.7 cells through the activation of MAPKs (ERK, p38 and JNK) signaling pathway. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the primary structure and immune-stimulating activities of PAL from the fruit of T. cuspidata.

[Chemical constituents of ethyl acetate fraction of Tetrastigma planicaule].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical constituents of ethyl acetate of Tetrastigma planicaule. METHODS: The ethyl acetate fraction was isolated and purified by repeated silica gel chromatography and recrystallization. The structures of compounds were identified by physical-chemical methods and spectral data such as MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, etc. RESULTS: Six compounds were identified as gheddic acid (I), tricosanol (II), beta-sitosterol (III), palmitic acid (IV), ethyl gallate (V) and vanillin (VI), respectively. CONCLUSION: Compounds I, II, V and VI are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Determination of three triterpene alcohols in rat plasma after oral administration of pollen of Brassica campestris based on the utilization of fetal bovine serum as surrogate matrix.

24-Dehydropollinstanol (DEH), 24-methylene cholesterol (MET) and 31-norcycloartenol (NOR) are the functional triterpene alcohols of pollen of Brassica campestris. To study the pharmacokinetics of the above components of pollen of B. campestris in rats, a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed. To avoid the interference of endogenous MET in rat plasma, fetal bovine serum (FBS) was selected as surrogate matrix and validated. Rat plasma was liquid-liquid extracted, then the chromatographic separation was conducted on a poroshell 120 SB C18 column (2.7µm, 2.1mm×50mm) at 38°C within 5.6min utilizing a gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of (A) 0.1% formic acid in water and (B) 0.1% formic acid in methanol. The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using positive atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). The method was validated over the concentration of 9.8-1560ng/ml; the inter-and-intra-day precisions (RSD %) were ≤7.8%, and the accuracies (RE %) were -5.3% to 12.2%, the extraction recovery ranged from 73.5% to 106.9% for all of these analytes, and no obvious matrix effect was observed. The developed method was applied successfully to study the pharmacokinetics of DEH, MET and NOR in rats after oral administration of pollen of B. campestris.

Comparison of volatile compounds with characteristic odor in flowers and leaves of nojigiku (Chrysanthemum japonense).

The aim of the present study was to investigate the essential oils isolated from flower and leaf in order to get insight into similarities and differences as to their aroma-active composition. The essential oil obtained from the two parts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography olfactometry (GC-O). Flower and leaf oils, 38 and 36 constituents, representing 96.4 and 91.0% of the total oil composition, respectively, were identified. The main compounds in flower oil were camphor (47.64%), bornyl acetate (11.87%), and nojigiku alcohol (6.29%), whereas those in leaf oil were camphor (39.14%), nojigiku alcohol (10.76%) and γ-muurolene (7.02%). 13 Aroma-active compounds were identified by GC-O analysis in flower oil and 12 in leaf oil. The main aroma-active compounds in flower oil were camphor (camphor, FD (flavor dilution) = 7, OAV (odor active value) = 136913), bornyl acetate (camphor, FD = 6, OAV = 113711), and ß-caryophyllene (spicy, FD = 5, OAV = 116480). In leaf oil, the main aroma-active compounds were camphor (camphor, FD = 7, OAV = 106784), nojigiku alcohol (camphor, FD = 5, OAV = not determined), and ß-caryophyllene (spicy, FD = 6, OAV = 526267).

Preparation of novel alumina nanowire solid-phase microextraction fiber coating for ultra-selective determination of volatile esters and alcohols from complicated food samples.

A novel alumina nanowire (ANW) solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating was prepared by a simple and rapid anodization-chemical etching method for ultra-selective determination of volatile esters and alcohols from complicated food samples. Preparation conditions for ANW SPME fiber coating including corrosion solution concentration and corrosion time were optimized in detail for better surface morphology and higher surface area based on scanning electron microscope (SEM). Under the optimum conditions, homogeneous alumina nanowire structure of ANW SPME fiber coating was achieved with the average thickness of 20 µm around. Compared with most of commercial SPME fiber coatings, ANW SPME fiber coatings achieved the higher extraction capacity and special selectivity for volatile esters and alcohols. Finally, an efficient gas sampling technique based on ANW SPME fiber coating as the core was established and successfully applied for the ultra-selective determination of trace volatile esters and alcohols from complicated banana and fermented glutinous rice samples coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) detection. It was interesting that 25 esters and 2 alcohols among 30 banana volatile organic compounds (VOCs) identified and 4 esters and 7 alcohols among 13 identified VOCs of fermented glutinous rice were selectively sampled by ANW SPME fiber coatings. Furthermore, new analytical methods for the determination of some typical volatile esters and alcohols from banana and fermented glutinous rice samples at specific storage or brewing phases were developed and validated. Good recoveries for banana and fermented glutinous rice samples were achieved in range of 108-115% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 2.6-6.7% and 80.0-91.8% with RSDs of 0.3-1.3% (n=3), respectively. This work proposed a novel and efficient gas sampling technique of ANW SPME which was quite suitable for ultra-selectively sampling trace volatile esters and alcohols from complicated food samples.

Purification of vetiver alcohols and esters for quantitative high-performance thin-layer chromatography determination in Haitian vetiver essential oils and vetiver acetates.

A simple, fast, and efficient High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed for the simultaneous quantitative determination of alcohols and acetates in Haitian vetiver essential oils (Chryzopogon zizanioides) and its acetylated form. Analytes were separated by using a mixture of n-hexane-chloroform-ethyl acetate (8:6:0.5, v/v/v) as mobile phase under 47% humidity. Quantification was achieved by densitometric evaluation of the analytes in absorbance mode under visible light (λ=530 nm) after staining with a vanillin-sulfuric acid reagent. Reference mixtures of alcohols and acetates were obtained by fractionation of Haitian vetiver oil or vetiver acetates, followed by purification of the fractions of interest by means of Over-Pressured Layer Chromatography (OPLC). The chemical composition of each reference fraction was determined by using GC-MS and GC×GC-MS, and their overall purity was determined by GC/FID and HPTLC. The TLC method provided compact spots for alcohols (R(f2)=0.18±0.01 and R(f1)=0.28±0.01) and acetates (R(f3)=0.65±0.01). Calibration plots showed good linear correlation with r²=0.9995±0.0001 and r²=0.9995±0.0001 for alcohols and r²=0.9996±0.0001 for acetates in a 40-200 ng spot⁻¹ concentration range with respect to peak areas. The method was validated for precision and accuracy. Limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were determined. Method specificity was confirmed using retention factor (R(f)) and GC-MS control of the standards reference mixtures.

Four new guaianolides and acetylenic alcohol from Saussurea katochaete collected in China.

Four new guaianolides and an acetylenic alcohol were isolated from Saussurea katochaete (Asteraceae) collected in China. The structures were determined based on the spectroscopic data including the absolute configuration by application of advanced Mosher's method.

Glucosylated sesquiterpene alcohols from Fraxinus griffithii.

Phytochemical investigation of the leaves of Fraxinus griffithii has led to the isolation of two new glucosylated acyclic sesquiterpene alcohols, griffithosides D (1) and E (2), along with iridoid and secoiridoid glycosides. The molecular structures of these compounds were elucidated using NMR, MS and other spectroscopic techniques, as well as comparison with literature data. The isolated compounds were tested for radical-scavenging activity and cytotoxicity against A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells and Leishmania major parasites.

Bioefficacy of Alpinia galanga (Zingiberaceae) rhizome extracts, (E)-p-acetoxycinnamyl alcohol, and (E)-p-coumaryl alcohol ethyl ether against Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) and the impact on detoxification enzyme activities.

The application of insecticides to control oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a principal component of the current management of these fruit flies. However, we evaluated four extracts of Alpinia galanga Wild Linn (Zingiberaceae) rhizomes against adult flies and found hexane and ethanol extracts to be most effective (LC50 = 4,866 and 6,337 ppm, respectively, after 24 h). This suggested that both nonpolar and polar compounds could be active in the candidate plant. Accordingly, the hexane extract was further processed to isolate nonpolar active compounds from this plant source. Two compounds, (E)-p-acetoxycinnamyl alcohol and (E)-p-coumaryl alcohol ethyl ether, were identified as active ingredients and found to be more active than total hexane extract (LC50 = 3,654 and 4,044 ppm, respectively, after 24 h). The data suggested that the compounds were not synergistic but may have some additive effect in a mixture. The activity of the hexane extract against detoxification enzymes, carboxylesterase (CE) and glutathione transferase (GST) also was determined in vitro. CE was inhibited by 70%, whereas GST was not significantly inhibited. Insect CEs mediate insecticide resistance via their induction; therefore, inhibition of these enzymes by plant allelochemicals could be a useful alternative approach for the management of the pest in the field.

Developing qualitative extraction profiles of coffee aromas utilizing polymeric ionic liquid sorbent coatings in headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Two solid-phase microextraction (SPME) sorbent coatings based on polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) have been utilized for the analysis of complex coffee aroma samples. The PIL-based SPME coatings examined, namely, poly(1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-3-hexadecylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide) [poly(VBHDIm(+) NTf(2)(-))], with ~14-µm thickness, and poly(1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium chloride) [poly(ViHIm(+)Cl(-))], with ~8-µm thickness, were employed for the headspace determination of up to 49 analytes from four different coffee beans: two French roast coffees of different brands, Sumatra coffee, and decaffeinated Sumatra coffee. The analysis was conducted using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. For comparative purposes, the commercial polyacrylate (PA, 85-µm film thickness) SPME coating was utilized under the same extraction conditions. The three SPME coatings tested behaved quite differently as a function of the families of compounds extracted. Thus, the poly(VBHDIm(+) NTf(2)(-) ) coating was extremely selective for aldehydes while also exhibiting good extraction efficiencies for acids. The poly-(ViHIm(+) Cl(-)) coating exhibited superior performance for aromatic alcohols, and the PA coating worked better for heterocyclic aromatics. Both PIL-based SPME sorbent coatings demonstrated exceptional selectivity and extraction efficiency when dealing with complex coffee aromas in spite of their small film thicknesses.

[Alcohol-purification technology and its particle sedimentation process in manufactory of Fufang Kushen injection].

OBJECTIVE: Fufang Kushen injection was selected as the model drug, to optimize its alcohol-purification process and understand the characteristics of particle sedimentation process, and to investigate the feasibility of using process analytical technology (PAT) on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) manufacturing. METHOD: Total alkaloids (calculated by matrine, oxymatrine, sophoridine and oxysophoridine) and macrozamin were selected as quality evaluation markers to optimize the process of Fufang Kushen injection purification with alcohol. Process parameters of particulate formed in the alcohol-purification, such as the number, density and sedimentation velocity, were also determined to define the sedimentation time and well understand the process. RESULT: The purification process was optimized as that alcohol is added to the concentrated extract solution (drug material) to certain concentration for 2 times and deposited the alcohol-solution containing drug-material to sediment for some time, i.e. 60% alcohol deposited for 36 hours, filter and then 80% -90% alcohol deposited for 6 hours in turn. The content of total alkaloids was decreased a little during the depositing process. The average settling time of particles with the diameters of 10, 25 microm were 157.7, 25.2 h in the first alcohol-purified process, and 84.2, 13.5 h in the second alcohol-purified process, respectively. CONCLUSION: The optimized alcohol-purification process remains the marker compositions better and compared with the initial process, it's time saving and much economy. The manufacturing quality of TCM-injection can be controlled by process. PAT pattern must be designed under the well understanding of process of TCM production.

[Study on liposoluble constituents of Teucrium labiosum].

OBJECTIVE: To Study liposoluble constituents of Teurium labiosum. METHODS: The constituents were isolated and purified by silica gel column and Sephadex LH-20 chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectral analysis. RESULTS: Six compounds were obtained and identified as stearic acid (I), alpha-spinasterol (II), Methyl phaeophorbide a (III), friedelino (IV), lupeol (V) and stigmasta-5,22-dien-3beta-ol (VI). CONCLUSION: All these compounds are obtained from this plant for the first time.

Artarborol, a nor-caryophyllane sesquiterpene alcohol from Artemisia arborescens. stereostructure assignment through concurrence of NMR data and computational analysis.

A nor-caryophyllane derivative, artarborol, has been isolated from wormwood (Artemisia arborescens) and its stereostructure established by using a combination of chemical derivatization, NMR data, molecular modeling, and quantum-mechanical calculations. In particular, comparison of experimental 13C NMR data with a Boltzmann-weighed average of 13C NMR chemical shifts, calculated by ab initio DFT method, supported the stereochemical assignment.

Insect antifeedants, pterocarpans and pterocarpol, in heartwood of Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kruz.

The insect antifeedant activities of pterocarpans and a sesquiterpene alcohol from the dichloromethane extract of Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kruz. (Leguminosae) were evaluated against the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura F. (Noctuidae), and the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe)(Rhinotermitidae). Three pterocarpans, (-)-homopterocarpin (1), (-)-pterocarpin (2), and (-)-hydroxyhomopterocarpin (3) and the sesquiterpene alcohol, (+)-pterocarpol (5), were isolated from the dichloromethane extract of the heartwood of P. macrocarpus under guidance by a biological assay. Among these natural products, the most active insect antifeedant against both S. litura and R. speratus was 1. On the other hand, sesquiterpene alcohol 5 showed less insect antifeedant activity than the other pterocarpans against both insect species. While its methylated derivative, (-)-methoxyhomopterocarpin (4), showed high biological activity, 3 showed less insect antifeedant activity in this study. Interestingly, racemic 1 did not show insect antifeedant activity against S. litura. However, all of the test pterocarpans and isoflavones showed antifeedant activity against the test termites. Additionally, since these compounds were major constituents of P. macrocarpus, these antifeedant phenolics may act as chemical defense factors in this tree. In Thailand, lumber made from this tree is used to make furniture and in building construction due to its resistance to termite attack.

Aliphatic alcohol and iridoid glycosides from Asystasia intrusa.

An aliphatic alcohol glycoside (asystoside) and an iridoid diglucoside (3'-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-catalpol) were isolated from the aerial part of Asystasia intrusa along with benzyl beta-D-glucopyranoside, zizybeoside I, (6S,9R)-roseoside, verbascoside, ehrenoside, 6beta-hydroxyantirrhide, angeloside, catalpol, ajugol, 6-deoxycatalpol, and scutellarioside II. The structural elucidations were based on analyses of physical and spectroscopic data.

Volatile components of some Rutaceae species.

The volatile components of the aerial parts of Ruta graveolens and Haplophyllum suaveolens, as well as of leaves of Zanthoxylum limoncello, Z. panamense and Z. setulosum have been studied by GC/MS analysis.