title: Rapid white truffle headspace analysis by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry and comparison with solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
abstract: The gastronomic relevance and high price of white truffle are related mainly to its unique aroma. Here we evaluate, for the first time, the possibility of characterizing in a rapid and non-destructive way the aroma of white truffles based on proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). We indicate that anonymous PTR-MS fingerprinting allows sample classification and we also compare qualitatively and quantitatively PTR-MS data with measurements made by solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography (SPME-GC) of the same samples under the same conditions. PTR-MS fragmentation data of truffle-relevant compounds are also published here for the first time. Most of the sulfur-containing compounds detected by GC and relevant for white truffle aroma have a high positive correlation with single PTR-MS peaks. Our work indicates that, after preliminary comparison with GC data, PTR-MS is a new tool for the rapid, quantitative and non-invasive characterization of white truffle by direct headspace injection without any pre-concentration.
authors.affiliation: IASMA Research Center, Agri-Food Quality Department, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 S. Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy. eugenio.aprea@iasma.it
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aprea
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Biasioli
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carlin
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Versini
authors.forename: Tilmann D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Märk
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gasperi
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000737:chemistry*; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D011522:Protons; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction / Q000379:methods*; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D013457:Sulfur Compounds