Determination of Brett character responsible compounds in wines by using multiple headspace solid-phase...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Wine Chemistry

Background:

• Brett character in wine is often caused by volatile phenols like 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol.
• Standard headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) can be affected by matrix effects, leading to inaccurate quantification.
• Existing methods may not adequately address matrix interference in wine volatile analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel analytical method for quantifying key volatile phenols in wine.
• To address and mitigate matrix effects encountered in HS-SPME analysis of wine.
• To provide a reliable alternative for the analysis of compounds contributing to Brett character in wine.

Main Methods:

• Multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction (MHS-SPME) using a carbowax/divinylbenzene (CW/DVB) fiber.
• Validation of the MHS-SPME method, including determination of detection limits and repeatability.
• Comparison of MHS-SPME results with the standard addition method for wine samples.

Main Results:

• Achieved low detection limits (0.06–0.20 µg/l) for 4-ethylphenol, 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-vinylphenol, and 4-vinylguaiacol, below their odor thresholds.
• Demonstrated acceptable repeatability (1–12% RSD) for the MHS-SPME method.
• MHS-SPME results showed good agreement with the standard addition method and were successfully applied to commercial wines.

Conclusions:

• MHS-SPME is a robust and effective technique for the accurate quantitative analysis of 4-ethylphenol, 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-vinylphenol, and 4-vinylguaiacol in wine.
• The proposed MHS-SPME method successfully overcomes matrix effects inherent in HS-SPME analysis of wine.
• MHS-SPME offers a valuable alternative for routine wine analysis, particularly for compounds associated with Brett character.