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.

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)-β-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.

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.

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.