Analysis of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with chemometric analysis.

Analysis of exhaled breath samples reveals the presence of many volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The VOC composition of the breath, the so-called breath profile, contains a variety of information including the health status and condition of the organism that produced the sample. Therefore, breath profiling can be used in diagnosing and monitoring disease and other characteristics of the organism, such as phenotype, diet, and exercise. Among various techniques available for breath analysis, GC-MS provides the most extensive information with regard to the qualitative and quantitative presence of VOCs in breath.