[Ting2012]
Ting, V. J. L., C. Soukoulis, P. Silcock, L. Cappellin, A. Romano, E. Aprea, P. J. Bremer, T. D. Maerk, F. Gasperi, and F. Biasioli,
"In vitro and in vivo flavor release from intact and fresh-cut apple in relation with genetic, textural, and physicochemical parameters.",
J Food Sci, vol. 77, no. 11: Research and Innovation Centre, Foundation Edmund Mach, via Mach 1, San Michele all' Adige, (TN), Italy., pp. C1226–C1233, Nov, 2012.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2012.02947.x
Flavor release from 6 commercial apple cultivars (Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Morgen Dallago, and Red Delicious) under static conditions (intact or fresh-cut samples) and during consumption of fresh-cut samples (nosespace) was determined by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. Textural (firmness, fracturability, flesh elasticity, and rupture) and physicochemical (pH, acidity, and water content) properties of the apples were also measured. Static headspace analysis of intact fruits revealed Fuji and Granny Smith apples had the lowest concentration for all measured flavor compounds (esters, aldehydes, alcohols, and terpenes), whereas Red Delicious apples had the highest. Fresh-cut samples generally showed a significant increase in total volatile compounds with acetaldehyde being most abundant. However, compared to intact fruits, cut Golden and Red Delicious apples had a lower intensity for ester related peaks. Five parameters were extracted from the nosespace data of peaks related to esters (m/z 43, 61), acetaldehyde (m/z 45), and ethanol (m/z 47): 2 associated with mastication (duration of mastication-t(con); time required for first swallowing event-t(swal)), and 3 related with in-nose volatile compound concentration (area under the curve-AUC; maximum intensity-I(max); time for achieving I(max)-t(max)). Three different behaviors were identified in the nosespace data: a) firm samples with low AUC and t(swal) values (Granny Smith, Fuji), b) mealy samples with high AUC, I(max), t(swal) values, and low t(con) (Morgen Dallago, Golden Delicious), and c) firm samples with high AUC and I(max) values (Red Delicious). Strengths and limitations of the methodology are discussed. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Volatile compounds play a fundamental role in the perceived quality of food. Using apple cultivars, this research showed that in vivo proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) could be used to determine the relationship between the release of volatile flavor compounds and the physicochemical parameters of a real food matrix. This finding suggests that in vivo PTR-MS coupled with traditional physicochemical measurements could be used to yield information on flavor release from a wide range of food matrices and help in the development of strategies to enhance food flavor and quality.
[Sulzer2012]
Sulzer, P., F. Petersson, B. Agarwal, K. H. Becker, S. Juerschik, T. D. Maerk, D. Perry, P. Watts, and C. A. Mayhew,
"Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry and the unambiguous real-time detection of 2,4,6 trinitrotoluene.",
Anal Chem, vol. 84, no. 9: Ionicon Analytik Gesellschaft m.b.H., Eduard-Bodem-Gasse 3, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria., pp. 4161–4166, May, 2012.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac3004456
Fears of terrorist attacks have led to the development of various technologies for the real-time detection of explosives, but all suffer from potential ambiguities in the assignment of threat agents. Using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), an unusual bias dependence in the detection sensitivity of 2,4,6 trinitrotoluene (TNT) on the reduced electric field (E/N) has been observed. For protonated TNT, rather than decreasing signal intensity with increasing E/N, which is the more usual sensitivity pattern observed in PTR-MS studies, an anomalous behavior is first observed, whereby the signal intensity initially rises with increasing E/N. We relate this to unexpected ion-molecule chemistry based upon comparisons of measurements taken with related nitroaromatic compounds (1,3,5 trinitrobenzene, 1,3 dinitrobenzene, and 2,4 dinitrotoluene) and electronic structure calculations. This dependence provides an easily measurable signature that can be used to provide a rapid highly selective analytical procedure to minimize false positives for the detection of TNT. This has major implications for Homeland Security and, in addition, has the potential of making instrumentation cost-effective for use in security areas. This study shows that an understanding of fundamental ion-molecule chemistry occurring in low-pressure drift tubes is needed to exploit selectivity and sensitivity for analytical purposes.
[Cappellin2012a]
Cappellin, L., T. Karl, M. Probst, O. Ismailova, P. M. Winkler, C. Soukoulis, E. Aprea, T. D. Maerk, F. Gasperi, and F. Biasioli,
"On quantitative determination of volatile organic compound concentrations using proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry.",
Environ Sci Technol, vol. 46, no. 4: IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Food Quality and Nutrition Area, Via E. Mach, 1, 38010, S. Michele a/A, Italy., pp. 2283–2290, Feb, 2012.
Link:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es203985t
Proton transfer reaction - mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) has become a reference technique in environmental science allowing for VOC monitoring with low detection limits. The recent introduction of time-of-flight mass analyzer (PTR-ToF-MS) opens new horizons in terms of mass resolution, acquisition time, and mass range. A standard procedure to perform quantitative VOC measurements with PTR-ToF-MS is to calibrate the instrument using a standard gas. However, given the number of compounds that can be simultaneously monitored by PTR-ToF-MS, such a procedure could become impractical, especially when standards are not readily available. In the present work we show that, under particular conditions, VOC concentration determinations based only on theoretical predictions yield good accuracy. We investigate a range of humidity and operating conditions and show that theoretical VOC concentration estimations are accurate when the effect of water cluster ions is negligible. We also show that PTR-ToF-MS can successfully be used to estimate reaction rate coefficients between H(3)O(+) and VOC at PTR-MS working conditions and find good agreement with the corresponding nonthermal theoretical predictions. We provide a tabulation of theoretical rate coefficients for a number of relevant volatile organic compounds at various energetic conditions and test the approach in a laboratory study investigating the oxidation of alpha-pinene.