APPLICATION OF SOLID-PHASE MICROEXTRACTION AND GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS-SPECTROMETRY FOR RAPID ANALYSIS OF FLAVOR VOLATILES IN TOMATO AND STRAWBERRY FRUITS

Solid phase microextraction (SPME), a relatively new sampling techniqu e, was examined as a means to investigate volatile compounds produced by tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and strawberry (Fragaria x a nanassa Duch.) fruit. SPME had sufficient sorptive capacity to permit detection of aroma compounds having a variety of functional groups. Th e advantages of using SPME were its simplicity, absence of solvent, an d speed. Fiber cleaning, sample collection, and desorption required si milar to 6 min. The total analysis time was similar to 10 min per samp le when SPME was combined with rapid gas chromatographic (GC) separati on and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). The major volatile co mpounds detected from tomato and strawberry and their relative abundan ce were comparable with published results from purge-and-trap/GC/FID a nalyses. One of the primary flavor impact compounds in strawberry, 2,5 -dimethyl-4-methoxy-3(2H)-furanone was detected by using SPME/GC/TOFMS . SPME appears to be suitable for rapid and quantitative analysis of v olatile aroma compounds in tomato and strawberry fruit.