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Stir bar sorptive extraction coupled with GC/MS applied to honey: optimization of method and comparative study with headspace extraction techniques

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Abstract

The stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) techniques, coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, were successfully applied to the study of Eucalyptus honey’s for the determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). An optimization of the extraction method was carried out and the variables, NaCl concentration (used as matrix modifier), and the concentration of honey solution were studied targeting the whole VOCs composition. After the evaluation of the experiments, the best condition for the extraction of honey volatile components was 2 mol/L of NaCl and the more concentrated honey solution (0.5 g of honey per mL of water). Additionally, the results were compared with those obtained by two headspace (HS) techniques, namely solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and dynamic headspace (DHS). SBSE volatiles differ qualitatively and quantitatively from those obtained by the SPME and DHS methods. In any event, the chemical composition of Eucalyptus honey volatiles extracted by all three techniques shows the presence of some typical floral markers. Our results confirm a general trend reported in the literature, which show the higher sensitivity of SBSE in the extraction of less volatile compounds in comparison with HS methods.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Via F. Muroni, 23/b, 07100, Sassari, Italy

      Giacomo L. Petretto & Giorgio Pintore

    2. Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari, Viale Italia, 39A, 07100, Sassari, Italy

      P. Paolo Urgeghe, Ilaria Mascia & Costantino Fadda

    3. Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK

      Jonathan P. Rourke

    Authors
    1. Giacomo L. Petretto
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    2. P. Paolo Urgeghe
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    3. Ilaria Mascia
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    4. Costantino Fadda
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    5. Jonathan P. Rourke
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    6. Giorgio Pintore
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    Correspondence to P. Paolo Urgeghe.

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    Giacomo L. Petretto and P. Paolo Urgeghe have contribute equally to this work.

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    Petretto, G.L., Urgeghe, P.P., Mascia, I. et al. Stir bar sorptive extraction coupled with GC/MS applied to honey: optimization of method and comparative study with headspace extraction techniques. Eur Food Res Technol 243, 735–741 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-016-2787-9

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-016-2787-9

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