Detection of Volatile Sulfur Compounds in Mangoes Using Sorptive Extraction Methods

Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are important contributors to mango volatile profiles but are challenging to analyze due to their trace concentrations, susceptibility to transformation, and interference from the complex fruit matrix. This study investigated how key extraction parameters-material chemistry, surface area-to-volume ratio, sorbent volume, temperature, and time-affect VSC extraction using mango as a complex botanical model. Three sorptive extraction configurations were evaluated: HiSorb (PDMS and DVB/CWR/PDMS) and a high-capacity combined headspace thin-film solid-phase microextraction and stir bar sorptive extraction (HS-TFSPME-SBSE) system. The optimized HS-TFSPME-SBSE configuration (40 °C, 150 min) provided the broadest VSC coverage, achieving limits of detection of 0.1-0.6 μg/kg and good linearity (R² > 0.9927). In spiked mango puree (10 μg/kg), HS-TFSPME-SBSE detected methyl mercaptan and diallyl trisulfide, which were not recovered using HiSorb (PDMS). Application to three mango cultivars (Golden Honey, Sindhura, and Palmer) revealed broader VSC profiles and enabled differentiation of cultivars and tissues (flesh and peel) through principal component analysis (PCA). Distinct cultivar-associated VSC patterns were observed, including elevated dimethyl disulfide in Golden Honey and ethyl 3-(methylthio)-cis-2-propenoate in Sindhura. These findings demonstrate the suitability of HS-TFSPME-SBSE for sensitive profiling of trace VSCs in complex fruit matrices.