HS-SPME-GC-MS/MS Method for the Rapid and Sensitive Quantitation of 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline in Single Rice Kernels

Absolute contents of aroma-affecting volatiles in cooked rice determined by one-step rice cooking and volatile extraction coupled with standard-addition calibration using HS-SPME/GC-MS

To quantify volatiles in cooked rice, analysis methods for one-step rice cooking and volatile extraction in a single headspace vial, combined with standard addition calibration using solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS were developed and applied to 41 rice varieties with various fragrances and palatability. The newly developed methods significantly improved the qualitative and quantitative recovery of volatiles compared with conventional methods. Among 29 aroma-affecting volatiles, the highest average contents (ng/g) were observed for nonanal (39.30), octanal (13.29), and 1-octen-3-ol (13.18); the total volatile contents of aldehyde, base, and alcohol groups were 4156, 2481, and 1739 ng/g, respectively. Fifteen rice varieties contained 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in range of 41.37-421.70 ng/g. Although there were no linear correlations among volatiles and the Toyo taste-score, multivariate PLS-DA analysis of the volatile could discriminate between low- and high-palatability rice varieties. The results indicated the accuracy and practicality of the newly developed methods for quantifying volatiles in cooked rice.

Rapid identification of artificial fragrant rice based on volatile organic compounds: From PTR-MS to FTIR

The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from foods can reflect their internal properties. Artificial fragrant rice (AFR) is a fraudulent food product in which the flavor of low-quality rice is artificially enhanced by addition of essence. In this study, proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry, long optical path gas phase FTIR spectroscopy and fiber optic evanescent wave were used to analyze the characteristic mass-charge ratios signal and infrared fingerprint signal of four essence which may be used to make AFR, and the prepared AFR samples with different essence levels (0.001 %-0.3 %) were used to verify the detection performance of the detection methods. The results show that the three detection methods effectively identified AFR containing the minimum recommended dose of essence (≥0.1 %, w/w). The above detection methods can provide detection results in real time without complex sample pretreatment and provide options as rapid screening methods for food regulatory authorities to identify AFR.

Development and validation of HS-SPME-GCMS/MS method for quantification of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in rice cultivars

The commercial significance of accurate and simple quantification of 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) cannot be overstated. Present study was carried out to standardize a method for extraction and accurate quantitation of 2-AP from rice grain using GC-MS/MS equipped with HS-SPME auto sampler. The effect of sample quantity, addition of solvent, grinding process, sample particle size, head space parameters and SPME fiber incubation parameters, were optimized in the developed method. Dehusked rice powder (2 g) prepared under liquid nitrogen, and passed through the 80-mesh sieve, incubated for 40 min at 80 °C in headspace, followed by fiber (DVB/Carbon WR/PDMS) saturation time of 15 min, could produce the maximum response. The recovery of 2-AP from fortified sample ranged between 7.02 and 9.02% at 50-200 ng g-1 fortification irrespective of the grain matrices used. Standard addition method was appropriate to overcome the matrix effect and recovery of 2-AP was more than 90% using this method. The developed method was further utilized for quantification of 2-AP in four Basmati and two non-Basmati aromatic rice samples. The content of 2-AP ranged between 57.17 and 147.10 ng g-1 of rice and varied with geographical location. This fully automated method could improve the work efficiency and reduce error during the volatile extraction and adsorption phase.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05674-7.

A Comparison of Different Tissues Identifies the Main Precursors of Volatile Substances in Chicken Meat

Amino acids and fatty acids are the main precursors of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in meat. The purpose of this study was to determine the main VOC components in chicken breast muscle (BM) and abdominal fat (AF) tissue, as well as the source of VOCs, to provide a basis for quality improvement of broilers. BM and AF served as experimental and control groups, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and untargeted metabolomics were employed to identify the source of VOCs. The results revealed nine VOCs in BM and AF tissues, including hexanal, octanal, and nonanal. VOCs including 1-octen-3-ol, (E,E)-2, 4-nonadienal, and benzaldehyde were significantly elevated in BM compared with AF (p < 0.05), while heptane and diethyl disulphide showed the opposite trend (p < 0.05). Levels of hexanal, heptanal, and octanal were similar in the two tissues. Metabolites of VOCs in chicken BM were investigated by weighted co-expression network analysis. However, only blue module in BM tissue was positively correlated with hexanal (r = 0.66, p = 0.01), heptanal (r = 0.67, p = 0.008), and (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal (r = 0.88, p = 3E-05). L-tyrosine, L-asparagine, adenosine, and valine were the main precursors of (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal and heptanal in BM tissue. Amino acids are the main precursors of 1-octen-3-ol, (E,E)-2, 4-nonadienal, and heptanal in chicken meat, while fatty acids are the main precursors of diethyl disulfide. However, hexanal can be synthesized from amino acids and small amounts of fatty acids as precursors. These findings expand our understanding of VOCs in chicken.

Profiling of 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline and Other Volatile Compounds in Raw and Cooked Rice of Traditional and Improved Varieties of India

Herein, optimized headspace solid phase microextraction with gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS/MS) was used to estimate the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) in raw and cooked rice samples of ten different traditional and improved varieties. Furthermore, HS-SPME-GC-MS-based volatile profiling was subjected to untargeted analyses to identify major odorants in raw and cooked rice samples, and to understand chemical proximities among volatile profiles. Results showed that 2-AP content was remarkably increased in cooked rice compared to raw. Among the varieties studied, Pusa-1652 (Improved Kala Namak) and Kala Namak-2 were superior in the 2-AP content than Basmati varieties. Additionally, Govind Bhog, Kala Jeera and Jeera-32 had 2-AP content equivalent to or superior to Basmati rice varieties. Altogether, 18 and 22 volatiles were identified in the raw and cooked rice samples studied, respectively. Of these, ethyl butyrate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, 2-undecanone, ethyl benzoate, ethyl benzeneacetate, 2-methylnaphthalene, and 1-methylnaphthalene were characteristically detected in the cooked rice. The high amount of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol was uniquely found in raw rice samples, which can be a marker compound for freshly milled rice. Along with 2-AP, butanoic acid and benzoic acid derivatives, phenylethyl alcohol, ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate, and indole may be responsible for the overall perceived characteristic Basmati-like aroma in cooked rice.

Rapid, High-Throughput Quantitation of Odor-Active 2-Acetyl Azaheterocycles in Food Products by UHPLC-MS/MS

A rapid, high-throughput method for the quantitation of the 2-acetyl azaheterocycles, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, 2-acetyl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridine, 2-acetylpyrazine, and 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline, in different food products, by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), was developed. The quick extraction by bead beater homogenization, fast derivatization by 3-nitrophenylhydrazine (40 °C, 2 h), and efficient LC separation make this method suitable for high-throughput analysis. As established in this study, the highly precise LC-MS/MS method applies to different food products or beverages without requiring further adjustment. The analysis was performed with sample amounts of 0.2-0.5 g, and limit of quantitation values of 0.6, 0.5, 0.6, and 1.0 μg/kg were obtained for 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, 2-acetyl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridine, 2-acetylpyrazine, and 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline, respectively. Thus, it was possible to quantitate the analytes in the range of their odor thresholds.

Comparison of the sensory properties of fragrant and non-fragrant rice (Oryza sativa), focusing on the role of the popcorn-like aroma compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline

2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) has been widely reported as a key contributor to the popcorn-like aroma of fragrant rice (Oryza sativa). To gain a greater understanding of its contribution to the aroma in both fragrant and non-fragrant rice, sensory profiling was conducted with a trained panel to examine the sensory properties of six boiled rice samples, three fragrant and three non-fragrant varieties. The intensity of the popcorn note as an orthonasal odour, a retronasal flavour and as an after-effect was significantly higher in fragrant rice than in non-fragrant rice. However, panellists could not differentiate these popcorn attributes between the three different fragrant rice varieties. 2-AP was extracted from the boiled rice samples by headspace solid-phase microextraction and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. 2-AP was below the limits of quantitation in non-fragrant varieties; however, gas chromatography-olfactometry of samples indicated the presence of 2-AP in both raw fragrant and non-fragrant rice varieties.

Comparative analysis of characteristic volatile compounds in Chinese traditional smoked chicken (specialty poultry products) from different regions by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry

This article presents investigation of the flavor profile on 5 different regional Chinese smoked chicken samples using gas chromatography−ion mobility spectrometry analysis methods. Five batches of samples were obtained over the course of 6 mo. A total of 34 flavor substances were identified in the 5 smoked chicken samples, including 10 aldehydes, 7 alcohols, 4 ketones, 2 hydrocarbons, 3 heterocyclic compounds, 4 esters, 2 ethers, and 2 phenolic compounds. The whole spectral fingerprint visually displayed flavor differences and relations in 5 types of smoked chicken with local characteristics. Moreover, the orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis model revealed that these samples could be separately classified into 5 groups. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that 20 chemicals with higher Variable Importance for the Projection values were the key contributors to the differences of flavor in these 5 kinds of smoked chicken. N-nonanal, heptanal, n-nonanal, heptanal, furfurol, and hexanal were the main common flavor compounds in the 5 types of Chinese smoked chicken, whereas linalool, alpha-terpineol, 1,8-cineole, and anethole were the main characteristic flavor compounds of Goubangzi chicken (No. 1); gamma-butyrolactone, 2-acetylfuran, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-acetylpyrrole, and limonene were determined as the key flavor compounds of Liaocheng chicken (No. 2); the concentration of octanal and n-nonanal was higher in Tangqiao chicken (No. 3); butyl acetate was the key contributor to the flavor compounds of Jinshan chicken (No. 4). 2-Heptanone and 2-pentylfuran had a high correlation with Zhuozishan chicken (No. 5). The different raw materials and ingredients used, especially the method of preparation and cultural differences, in different regions of the country in China were the main reasons leading to the similarities and differences of volatile compounds in the 5 kinds of Chinese traditional smoked chicken.

Characterization of the flavor compounds in wheat bran and biochemical conversion for application in food

Wheat bran, an abundant and low-cost by-product from agricultural processing, can be used as an alternative food resource. Biochemical conversion of wheat bran to food ingredient involves pretreatments of bran to enhance its acceptability. In this work, the effects of the Maillard reaction and enzymolysis on flavor properties of wheat bran and sensory evaluation of steamed buns fortified with wheat bran were analyzed using GC-MS combined with sensory evaluation. The results showed that the Maillard reaction and enzymatic hydrolysis, as well as flavoring process, could effectively improve the flavor profiles of wheat bran. The flavor compounds in modified wheat bran products as well as its fuzzy sensory score increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with those in commercially available dry malt extract. Additionally, steamed buns fortified with wheat bran had enhanced flavor and overall acceptability. The study can be useful in valorization a plethora of grain bran (waste) into valuable resources.

Aroma profile of rice varieties by a novel SPME method able to maximize 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline and minimize hexanal extraction

The solid phase microextraction (SPME) has been the most used technique for the extraction of volatile compounds from rice because of its easy operation and solvent-free. The extraction parameters, sample mass and incubation temperature, were optimized through a central composite rotational design (CCRD), aiming at maximizing the extraction of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP), the main compound responsible for the aroma in aromatic rice, and minimizing the generation of hexanal, a marker of lipid oxidation. Besides, the time of sample incubation and fiber exposure for the extraction of the volatile compounds from rice were determined. The optimized conditions for SPME were: 2.5 g of ground rice in a 20 mL vial, sample incubation at 80 °C for 60 min and exposure of the divinylbenzene/carboxene/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) fiber in the headspace for 10 min. The optimized method was sucessfuly applied to 12 varieties of rice and principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to observe similarities in their volatile profile. A total of 152 volatile compounds were identified among the different rice varieties. From these, 42 were identified in arborio rice, 47 in basmati brand A, 43 in basmati brand B, 55 in black rice, 63 in brown rice, 39 in jamine rice, 50 in parboiled brown rice, 43 in parboiled rice, 54 in red rice, 63 in sasanishiki rice, 46 in white rice and 70 in wild rice.

Efficient Analysis of 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline in Foods Using a Novel Derivatization Strategy and LC-MS/MS

2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) is a key odorant in many foods, such as aromatic rice and wheat bread, with a very low odor threshold of 0.05 μg/L in water. The small molecule with a popcornlike, roasty odor is generated biologically or by Strecker degradation within the Maillard-reaction cascades during thermal food processing with methylglyoxal and 1-pyrroline as the main direct precursors. Numerous gas-chromatographic methods for the analysis of 2-AP have been published, but the reactivity of the compound leads to discrimination or degradation during sample workup. We developed a novel derivatization method for 2-AP with o-phenylenediamine followed by HPLC-MS/MS analysis of the resulting stable quinoxaline. The precision (7%), repeatability (14%), recovery (92%), linearity (0.79-500 μg/kg), limit of detection (LOD, 0.26 μg/kg), and limit of quantitation (LOQ, 0.79 μg/kg) were validated for rice matrix and were excellent as compared with those of methods published before. With the novel method, 2-AP levels in typical foods like aromatic rice (131 μg/kg), wheat bread (18 μg/kg), brown bread (18 μg/kg), rye bread (18 μg/kg), and popcorn (38 μg/kg) were determined.

Quantitation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in aseptic-packaged cooked fragrant rice by HS-SPME/GC-MS

Aseptic-packaged cooked rice (APCR) is a rice-based food product with a rapidly increasing market size, and APCR made of fragrant rice (FR) has recently appeared on the market. The fragrance of FR is produced by a combination of odoriferous compounds, among which 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) has been identified as the most important contributor to overall aroma. This study describes the development of a method to quantify 2AP in FR-based APCR using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The recovery of 2AP spiked into APCR was lower than 10%, which suggests significant matrix effects and inappropriateness of external standard-based calibration. For standard addition calibration method, up to 1,000 ng of 2AP were spiked into APCR containing 0% to 100% FR. Subsequent regression analyses of recovered peak area (Y) as a function of the amount of 2AP spiked (X) yielded highly linear calibration curves (R 2 > 0.9917) with consistent slopes (RSD = 2.7%), regardless of FR composition. Y-intercepts, however, which represent the amount of 2AP in APCR without spiking, increased linearly (R 2 = 0.9898) in proportion to the composition of FR in the APCR. The amount of 2AP in APCR, determined by extrapolating the standard addition calibration curves, also increased linearly (R 2 = 0.9963) as a function of FR composition. Practicality of developed method was tested by monitoring 2AP contents in APCR under realistic storage conditions, which successfully demonstrated 38% and 60% 2AP reductions in APCR of 20% FR after 1 and 2 months of storage at 25°C, respectively. The present study demonstrates that a standard addition method, whereby up to 1,000 ng of 2AP standard is spiked into 4 g of APCR containing 5%-100% FR in a 20-mL headspace vial followed by SPME/GC-MS, may serve as an effective means of quantitating 2AP in fragrant rice-based APCR.

HS-SPME-GC-MS Analyses of Volatiles in Plant Populations-Quantitating Compound × Individual Matrix Effects

Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography⁻mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is widely employed for volatile analyses of plants, including mapping populations used in plant breeding research. Studies often employ a single internal surrogate standard, even when multiple analytes are measured, with the assumption that any relative changes in matrix effects among individuals would be similar for all compounds, i.e., matrix effects do not show Compound × Individual interactions. We tested this assumption using individuals from two plant populations: an interspecific grape (Vitis spp.) mapping population (n = 140) and a tomato (Solanum spp.) recombinant inbred line (RIL) population (n = 148). Individual plants from the two populations were spiked with a cocktail of internal standards (n = 6, 9, respectively) prior to HS-SPME-GC-MS. Variation in the relative responses of internal standards indicated that Compound × Individual interactions exist but were different between the two populations. For the grape population, relative responses among pairs of internal standards varied considerably among individuals, with a maximum of 249% relative standard deviation (RSD) for the pair of [U13C]hexanal and [U13C]hexanol. However, in the tomato population, relative responses of internal standard pairs varied much less, with pairwise RSDs ranging from 8% to 56%. The approach described in this paper could be used to evaluate the suitability of using surrogate standards for HS-SPME-GC-MS studies in other plant populations.

Flavor and flavor chemistry differences among milks processed by high-temperature, short-time pasteurization or ultra-pasteurization

Typical high-temperature, short-time (HTST) pasteurization encompasses a lower heat treatment and shorter refrigerated shelf life compared with ultra-pasteurization (UP) achieved by direct steam injection (DSI-UP) or indirect heat (IND-UP). A greater understanding of the effect of different heat treatments on flavor and flavor chemistry of milk is required to characterize, understand, and identify the sources of flavors. The objective of this study was to determine the differences in the flavor and volatile compound profiles of milk subjected to HTST, DSI-UP, or IND-UP using sensory and instrumental techniques. Raw skim and raw standardized 2% fat milks (50 L each) were processed in triplicate and pasteurized at 78°C for 15 s (HTST) or 140°C for 2.3 s by DSI-UP or IND-UP. Milks were cooled and stored at 4°C, then analyzed at d 0, 3, 7, and 14. Sensory attributes were determined using a trained panel, and aroma active compounds were evaluated by solid-phase micro-extraction or stir bar sorptive extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, gas chromatography-olfactometry, and gas chromatography-triple quad mass spectrometry. The UP milks had distinct cooked and sulfur flavors compared with HTST milks. The HTST milks had less diversity in aroma active compounds compared with UP milks. Flavor intensity of all milks decreased by d 14 of storage. Aroma active compound profiles were affected by heat treatment and storage time in both skim and 2% milk. High-impact aroma active compounds were hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, and methional in DSI-UP and 2 and 3-methylbutanal, furfural, 2-heptanone, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, 2-aminoacetophenone, benzaldehyde, and dimethyl sulfide in IND-UP. These results provide a foundation knowledge of the effect of heat treatments on flavor development and differences in sensory quality of UP milks.

Evaluation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in foods, with an emphasis on rice flavour

The popcorn-like aroma compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) is a key contributor to the desirable aroma of fragrant rice and is also important in the aroma of other foods, such as pandan leaf, popcorn and Mediterranean sausage. It can be formed enzymatically in the rice grain as it grows and is also formed, as part of the Maillard reaction, when rice is heated. This review examines the formation of 2-AP in rice and other foods, particularly its formation during cooking, focusing on the importance of the Maillard reaction between reducing sugar breakdown products and 1-pyrroline derived from the amino acids proline and ornithine. The synthesis of 2-AP is discussed alongside the attempts that have been made to stabilise this relatively unstable compound. The analysis of 2-AP by instrumental techniques, particularly gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-olfactometry, alongside the use of sensory studies, is also discussed.