title: Identification of a pharmaceutical packaging off-odor using solid phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
abstract: The use of a solid phase microextraction (SPME) sampling technique, in conjunction with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis, to identify an off-odor in a heat-stressed pharmaceutical packaging material is described. The ability of the commercially available polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated microfiber to concentrate a trace volatile compound of interest enabled identification of the odor compound of interest. Despite being present at levels that defied detection using conventional headspace sampling techniques, ethyl-2-mercaptoacetate was determined to be the compound responsible for the offending odor. Formation of the thioester resulted from an unanticipated reaction (either esterification or transesterification) between a common residual solvent (ethanol), present in a commonly used pharmaceutical tablet dispersant, and low-level amounts of reactants or synthetic intermediates of an FDA-approved polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-resin thermal stabilizing agent.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Development Division, Glaxo Wellcome Inc., Five Moore Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Sides
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Polowy
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Thornquest
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Burinsky
mesh_terms: D004349:Drug Packaging; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009812:Odorants