[Oezdestan2013]
Özdestan, Ö., S. M. van Ruth, M. Alewijn, A. Koot, A. Romano, L. Cappellin, and F. Biasioli,
"Differentiation of specialty coffees by proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry",
Food Research International: Elsevier, 2013.
Link:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996913003025
In the coffee sector a diversity of certifications is available, with the most well-known being organic and fair trade. Intrinsic markers of products may help to assure the authenticity of food products and complement administrative controls. In the present study 110 market coffees with special production traits were characterized by high sensitivity proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (HS PTR-MS) and volatiles were tentatively identified by PTR-time of flight MS. Espresso coffees, Kopi Luwak coffee and organic coffees could be distinguished by their profiles of volatile compounds with the help of chemometrics. A PLS-DA classification model was estimated to classify the organic and regular coffees by their HS PTR-MS mass spectra. Cross validation showed correct prediction of 42 out of the 43 (98%) organic coffee samples and 63 out of the 67 (95%) regular coffee samples. Therefore, the presented strategy is a promising approach to rapid organic coffee authentication.
[1591]
Maihom, T., E. Schuhfried, M. Probst, J. Limtrakul, T. D. Märk, and F. Biasioli,
"Fragmentation of allylmethylsulfide by chemical ionization: dependence on humidity and inhibiting role of water.",
J Phys Chem A, vol. 117, pp. 5149–5160, Jun, 2013.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp4015806
<p>We report on a previously unknown reaction mechanism involving water in the fragmentation reaction following chemical ionization. This result stems from a study presented here on the humidity-dependent and energy-dependent endoergic fragmentation of allyl methyl sulfide (AMS) upon protonation in a proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). The fragmentation pathways were studied with experimental (PTR-MS) and quantum chemical methods (polarizable continuum model (PCM), microhydration, studied at the MP2/6-311+G(3df,2p)//MP2/6-31G(d,p) level of theory). We report in detail on the energy profiles, reaction mechanisms, and proton affinities (G4MP2 calculations). In the discovered reaction mechanism, water reduces the fragmentation of protonated species in chemical ionization. It does so by direct interaction with the protonated species via covalent binding (C3H5(+)) or via association (AMS·H(+)). This stabilizes intermediate complexes and thus overall increases the activation energy for fragmentation. Water thereby acts as a reusable inhibitor (anticatalyst) in chemical ionization. Moreover, according to the quantum chemical (QC) results, when water is present in abundance it has the opposite effect and enhances fragmentation. The underlying reason is a concentration-dependent change in the reaction principle from active inhibition of fragmentation to solvation, which then enhances fragmentation. This amphoteric behavior of water is found for the fragmentation of C3H5(+) to C3H3(+), and similarly for the fragmentation of AMS·H(+) to C3H5(+). The results support humidity-dependent quantification efforts for PTR-MS and chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS). Moreover, the results should allow for a better understanding of ion-chemistry in the presence of water.</p>
[Tsevdou2013]
Tsevdou, M., C. Soukoulis, L. Cappellin, F. Gasperi, P. S. Taoukis, and F. Biasioli,
"Monitoring the effect of high pressure and transglutaminase treatment of milk on the evolution of flavour compounds during lactic acid fermentation using PTR-ToF-MS.",
Food Chem, vol. 138, no. 4: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Polytechnioupoli Zografou, Zografou 15780, Athens, Greece., pp. 2159–2167, Jun, 2013.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.12.007
In this study, the effects of thermal or high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment of a milk base in the absence or presence of a transglutaminase (TGase) protein cross-linking step on the flavour development of yoghurt were investigated. The presence of several tentatively identified volatile flavour compounds (VOCs), both during the enzymatic treatment and the lactic acid fermentation of the milk base, were monitored using a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS). The formation of the major flavour compounds (acetaldehyde, diacetyl, acetoin, and 2-butanone) followed a sigmoidal trend described by the modified Gompertz model. The HHP treatment of milk increased significantly the volatile compound formation rate whereas it did not affect the duration of the lag phase of formation, with the exception of acetaldehyde and diacetyl formation. On the contrary, the TGase cross-linking of milk did not significantly modify the formation rate of the volatile compounds but shortened the duration of the lag phase of their formation.
[Cappellin2013a]
Cappellin, L., E. Aprea, P. Granitto, A. Romano, F. Gasperi, and F. Biasioli,
"Multiclass methods in the analysis of metabolomic datasets: The example of raspberry cultivar volatile compounds detected by GC-MS and PTR-MS",
Food Research International: Elsevier, 2013.
Link:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996913000975
Multiclass sample classification and marker selection are cutting-edge problems in metabolomics. In the present study we address the classification of 14 raspberry cultivars having different levels of gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) susceptibility. We characterized raspberry cultivars by two headspace analysis methods, namely solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME/GC–MS) and proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). Given the high number of classes, advanced data mining methods are necessary. Random Forest (RF), Penalized Discriminant Analysis (PDA), Discriminant Partial Least Squares (dPLS) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) have been employed for cultivar classification and Random Forest-Recursive Feature Elimination (RF-RFE) has been used to perform feature selection. In particular the most important GC–MS and PTR-MS variables related to gray mold susceptibility of the selected raspberry cultivars have been investigated. Moving from GC–MS profiling to the more rapid and less invasive PTR-MS fingerprinting leads to a cultivar characterization which is still related to the corresponding Botrytis susceptibility level and therefore marker identification is still possible.
[1594]
Schuhfried, E., T. D. Märk, and F. Biasioli,
"Primary Ion Depletion Kinetics (PIDK) Studies as a New Tool for Investigating Chemical Ionization Fragmentation Reactions with PTR-MS.",
PLoS One, vol. 8, pp. e66925, 2013.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066925
<p>We report on a new approach for studying fragmentation channels in Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS), which we name primary ion depletion kinetics (PIDK). PTR-MS is a chemical ionization mass spectrometric (CIMS) technique deploying hydronium ions for the chemical ionization. Induced by extremely high concentrations of analyte M, depletion of the primary ions in the drift tube occurs. This is observed as quasi zero concentration of the primary ion H3O(+), and constant MH(+). Under these non-standard conditions, we find an overall changed fragmentation. We offer two explanations. Either the changed fragmentation pattern is the result of secondary proton transfer reactions. Or, alternatively, the fast depletion of H3O(+) leads to reduced heating of H3O(+) in the drift field, and consequently changed fragmentation following protonation of the analyte M. In any case, we use the observed changes in fragmentation as a successful new approach to fragmentation studies, and term it primary ion depletion kinetics, PIDK. PIDK easily yields an abundance of continuous data points with little deviation, because they are obtained in one experimental run, even for low abundant fragments. This is an advantage over traditional internal kinetic energy variation studies (electric field per number density (E/N) variation studies). Also, some interpretation on the underlying fragmentation reaction mechanisms can be gleamed. We measure low occurring fragmentation (<2% of MH(+)) of the compounds dimethyl sulfide, DMS, a compound that reportedly does not fragment, diethyl sulfide DES, and dipropyl sulfide DPS. And we confirm and complement the results with traditional E/N studies. Summing up, the new approach of primary ion depletion kinetics allows for the identification of dehydrogenation [MH(+) -H2] and adduct formation (RMH(+)) as low abundant fragmentation channels in monosulfides.</p>
[Cappellin2013]
Cappellin, L., F. Loreto, E. Aprea, A. Romano, J. Sánchez { Del Pulgar}, F. Gasperi, and F. Biasioli,
"PTR-MS in Italy: A Multipurpose Sensor with Applications in Environmental, Agri-Food and Health Science.",
Sensors (Basel), vol. 13, no. 9: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM), Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige 38010, Italy. francesco.loreto@cnr.it., pp. 11923–11955, 2013.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s130911923
Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) has evolved in the last decade as a fast and high sensitivity sensor for the real-time monitoring of volatile compounds. Its applications range from environmental sciences to medical sciences, from food technology to bioprocess monitoring. Italian scientists and institutions participated from the very beginning in fundamental and applied research aiming at exploiting the potentialities of this technique and providing relevant methodological advances and new fundamental indications. In this review we describe this activity on the basis of the available literature. The Italian scientific community has been active mostly in food science and technology, plant physiology and environmental studies and also pioneered the applications of the recently released PTR-ToF-MS (Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry) in food science and in plant physiology. In the very last years new results related to bioprocess monitoring and health science have been published as well. PTR-MS data analysis, particularly in the case of the ToF based version, and the application of advanced chemometrics and data mining are also aspects characterising the activity of the Italian community.
[Soukoulis2013]
Soukoulis, C., L. Cappellin, E. Aprea, F. Costa, R. Viola, TD.. Märk, F. Gasperi, and F. Biasioli,
"PTR-ToF-MS, A Novel, Rapid, High Sensitivity and Non-Invasive Tool to Monitor Volatile Compound Release During Fruit Post-Harvest Storage: The Case Study of Apple Ripening",
Food and Bioprocess Technology, vol. 6, no. 10: Springer US, pp. 2831-2843, 2013.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11947-012-0930-6
In the present study, the potential of PTR-ToF-MS for addressing fundamental and technical post-harvest issues was tested on the non-destructive and rapid monitoring of volatile compound evolution in three apple cultivars (‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Braeburn’ and ‘Gold Rush’) during 25 days of post-harvest shelf life ripening. There were more than 800 peaks in the PTR-ToF-MS spectra of apple headspace and many of them were associated with relevant compounds. Besides the ion produced upon proton transfer, we used the ion at mass 28.031 (C2H 4 +) produced by charge transfer from residual O 2 + as a monitor for ethylene concentration. ‘Golden Delicious’ apples were characterised by higher ethylene emission rates than ‘Gold Rush’ and ‘Braeburn’, and quantitative comparison has been supported by two segment piecewise linear model fitting. Ester evolution during post-harvest ripening is strongly dependent on endogenous ethylene concentration levels. For ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Braeburn’, sesquiterpenes (alpha-farnesene) exhibited a fast response to ethylene emission followed by a rapid decline after the endogenous ethylene maximum peak. Carbonyl compounds displayed a different time evolution as compared to esters and terpenes and did not show any evident relationship with ethylene. Methanol and ethanol concentrations during the entire storage period did not change significantly. We show how multivariate analysis can efficiently handle the large datasets produced by PTR-ToF-MS and that the outcomes obtained are in agreement with the literature. The different volatile compounds could be simultaneously monitored with high time resolution, providing advantages over the more established techniques for the investigation of VOC dynamics in fruit post-harvest storage trials.
[Costa2013]
Costa, F., L. Cappellin, E. Zini, A. Patocchi, M. Kellerhals, M. Komjanc, C. Gessler, and F. Biasioli,
"QTL validation and stability for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in apple.",
Plant Sci, vol. 211: n Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy. Electronic address: fabrizio.costa@fmach.it., pp. 1–7, Oct, 2013.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2013.05.018
The aroma trait in apple is a key factor for fruit quality strongly affecting the consumer appreciation, and its detection and analysis is often an extremely laborious and time consuming procedure. Molecular markers associated to this trait can to date represent a valuable selection tool to overcome these limitations. QTL mapping is the first step in the process of targeting valuable molecular markers to be employed in marker-assisted breeding programmes (MAB). However, a validation step is usually required before a newly identified molecular marker can be implemented in marker-assisted selection. In this work the position of a set of QTLs associated to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was confirmed and validated in three different environments in Switzerland, namely Wädenswil, Conthey and Cadenazzo, where the progeny 'Fiesta×Discovery' was replicated. For both QTL identification and validation, the phenotypic data were represented by VOCs produced by mature apple fruit and assessed with a Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS) instrument. The QTL-VOC combined analysis performed among these three locations validated the presence of important QTLs in three specific genomic regions, two located in the linkage group 2 and one in linkage group 15, respectively, for compounds related to esters (m/z 43, 61 and 131) and to the hormone ethylene (m/z 28). The QTL set presented here confirmed that in apple some compounds are highly genetically regulated and stable across environments.
[Morisco2013]
Morisco, F., E. Aprea, V. Lembo, V. Fogliano, P. Vitaglione, G. Mazzone, L. Cappellin, F. Gasperi, S. Masone, G. Domenico { De Palma}, et al.,
"Rapid "breath-print" of liver cirrhosis by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A pilot study.",
PLoS One, vol. 8, no. 4: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. filomena.morisco@unina.it, pp. e59658, 2013.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059658
The aim of the present work was to test the potential of Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and the assessment of disease severity by direct analysis of exhaled breath. Twenty-six volunteers have been enrolled in this study: 12 patients (M/F 8/4, mean age 70.5 years, min-max 42-80 years) with liver cirrhosis of different etiologies and at different severity of disease and 14 healthy subjects (M/F 5/9, mean age 52.3 years, min-max 35-77 years). Real time breath analysis was performed on fasting subjects using a buffered end-tidal on-line sampler directly coupled to a PTR-ToF-MS. Twelve volatile organic compounds (VOCs) resulted significantly differently in cirrhotic patients (CP) compared to healthy controls (CTRL): four ketones (2-butanone, 2- or 3- pentanone, C8-ketone, C9-ketone), two terpenes (monoterpene, monoterpene related), four sulphur or nitrogen compounds (sulfoxide-compound, S-compound, NS-compound, N-compound) and two alcohols (heptadienol, methanol). Seven VOCs (2-butanone, C8-ketone, a monoterpene, 2,4-heptadienol and three compounds containing N, S or NS) resulted significantly differently in compensate cirrhotic patients (Child-Pugh A; CP-A) and decompensated cirrhotic subjects (Child-Pugh B+C; CP-B+C). ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) analysis was performed considering three contrast groups: CP vs CTRL, CP-A vs CTRL and CP-A vs CP-B+C. In these comparisons monoterpene and N-compound showed the best diagnostic performance.Breath analysis by PTR-ToF-MS was able to distinguish cirrhotic patients from healthy subjects and to discriminate those with well compensated liver disease from those at more advanced severity stage. A breath-print of liver cirrhosis was assessed for the first time.