Determination of selected volatile terpenes in fish samples via solid phase microextraction arrow coupled with GC-MS

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Volatile terpenes in fish can negatively impact sensory acceptance and market value.
• Accurate determination of these trace-level compounds requires efficient enrichment methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a high-efficiency enrichment method for volatile terpenes in fish tissue.
• To apply a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) arrow configuration for enhanced terpene analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) arrow with a thick sorbent coating (120 μm PDMS/CWR).
• Optimized extraction time (60 min), extraction temperature (60 °C), desorption temperature (250 °C), and salt effect (10% NaCl).
• Analyzed selected terpenes (α-pinene, limonene, linalool, citronellol) in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) tissue.

Main Results:

• The developed SPME arrow method demonstrated good linearity (R² 0.9990-0.9999) across specified concentration ranges.
• Achieved good inter-day reproducibility (3.6-8.3%) and high sensitivity with low limits of detection (LODs as low as 1.7 μg L⁻¹).
• The thicker coating of the SPME arrow enhanced method sensitivity and broadened the detection range for headspace analysis.

Conclusions:

• The SPME arrow configuration offers a robust and sensitive method for analyzing volatile terpenes in fish.
• This technique can aid in quality control by detecting compounds that affect fish sensory properties.
• The study highlights the advantage of thicker sorbent coatings in SPME for trace analysis.