Garlic-bome volatile compounds were monitored by breath analysis of human subjects in a time course study following the ingestion of various garlic samples. After specific time intervals, 1 to 1.2 liters of breath were purged and trapped through porous polymer resins and analyzed via short path thermal desorption GC-MS methodology. In addition, quantification was achieved by GC with flame ionization detection using an internal standard. Allyl methyl sulfide, diallyl sulfide, diallyl disulfide, p-cymene and D-limonene were found consistently in all subjects. Allyl thiol was detected occasionally. The individual appearance and elimination curves for these phytochemicals were found to differ, suggesting that experimental observations related to the pharmacokinetic behavior of the individual compounds. Hydrogen sulfide, a potential breath odor compound, was not efficiently trapped due to its low breakthrough volume in the adsorbent resins. Therefore, this compound was analyzed by direct injection of breath samples using sulfur sensitive flame photometric GC methodology. Preliminary evidence suggests that stomach acid caused increased evolution of this compound during digestion. The procedure described proved to be a useful noninvasive technique for measuring low levels of volatile food-borne phytochemicals on the breath of human subjects.
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