Detection of Volatile Sulfur Compounds in Mangoes Using Sorptive Extraction Methods.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Agricultural Chemistry

Background:

• Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) significantly impact mango aroma but are difficult to analyze due to low concentrations and complex fruit matrices.
• Existing extraction methods face challenges in sensitivity and comprehensive coverage of VSCs in botanical samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of extraction parameters on VSC recovery from mangoes.
• To evaluate and optimize sorptive extraction techniques for sensitive VSC analysis in complex fruit matrices.
• To profile VSCs in different mango cultivars and tissues to understand their contribution to varietal differences.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated three sorptive extraction configurations: HiSorb (PDMS and DVB/CWR/PDMS) and a combined headspace thin-film solid-phase microextraction and stir bar sorptive extraction (HS-TFSPME-SBSE) system.
• Optimized HS-TFSPME-SBSE by adjusting parameters including temperature and time.
• Analyzed VSCs in spiked mango puree and three mango cultivars (Golden Honey, Sindhura, Palmer) using the optimized method and principal component analysis (PCA).

Main Results:

• The optimized HS-TFSPME-SBSE (40 °C, 150 min) provided the broadest VSC coverage with low limits of detection (0.1–0.6 μg/kg) and high linearity (R² > 0.9927).
• HS-TFSPME-SBSE detected specific VSCs like methyl mercaptan and diallyl trisulfide, which were missed by HiSorb (PDMS).
• PCA successfully differentiated mango cultivars and tissues based on their distinct VSC profiles, identifying cultivar-specific compounds.

Conclusions:

• HS-TFSPME-SBSE is a highly suitable technique for sensitive and comprehensive profiling of trace VSCs in complex matrices like mangoes.
• The optimized method enables differentiation of mango cultivars and tissues based on their unique volatile sulfur compound signatures.
• This approach advances the understanding of VSCs' role in mango aroma and varietal characteristics.