Field analyses of lavender volatile organic compounds: performance evaluation of a portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry device.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In situ analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants is an important challenge in chemical ecology. The traditional approach usually consists in trapping compounds using dynamic headspace extraction (DHS) in-field, followed by gas chromatography analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS and/or GC-FID) in the laboratory. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we evaluated the use of the new portable Torion T-9 GC-MS system for rapid and in situ analysis of VOCs emitted by fine lavender and lavandin species. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All field analyses were performed using a person-portable low-thermal mass GC system coupled with a miniature toroidal ion trap mass analyser (ppGC-ITMS) Torion T-9 portable GC-MS. Subsequently, multivariate statistical analyses were performed to determine chemical differences between species. RESULTS: Thirty compounds were separated and detected in all lavender above-ground samples in only 3 min of analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The portable GC-MS device enabled a rapid in-field distinction of Lavandula species based on their detected volatile profiles.