Gas Chromatography Analysis with Olfactometric Detection (GC-O) as a Useful Methodology for Chemical Characterization of Odorous Compounds

Abstract

The gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) technique couples traditional gas chromatographic analysis with sensory detection in order to study complex mixtures of odorous substances and to identify odor active compounds. The GC-O technique is already widely used for the evaluation of food aromas and its application in environmental fields is increasing, thus moving the odor emission assessment from the solely olfactometric evaluations to the characterization of the volatile components responsible for odor nuisance. The aim of this paper is to describe the state of the art of gas chromatography-olfactometry methodology, considering the different approaches regarding the operational conditions and the different methods for evaluating the olfactometric detection of odor compounds. The potentials of GC-O are described highlighting the improvements in this methodology relative to other conventional approaches used for odor detection, such as sensoristic, sensorial and the traditional gas chromatographic methods. The paper also provides an examination of the different fields of application of the GC-O, principally related to fragrances and food aromas, odor nuisance produced by anthropic activities and odorous compounds emitted by materials and medical applications.

Identification of Different Pink Pomelo Varieties by Gas Chromatography-mass Spectrometry and Olfactometry Coupled to Chemometrics

“…Four components, D-limonene (A6), nonanal (B3), decanal (B4), hexan-1-ol (C2) contributing more active to the odor of all pink pomelo juices, were determined by all assessors. D-limonene (A6) played an important role in the citrus sensory, which was also reported by other researchers [30]. The aroma-active substances identified in pink pomelo juice samples using DFA covers a wide range of functional and flavored components.…”

Beyond the paradigm: Combining mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance for metabolomics

“…Traditionally, compound derivatization has been used to separate stereoisomers or to improve ionization efficiency in LC-MS. Chemical modification for GC-MS is generally used to promote the volatility of compounds [122]. Fariba et al exploited the benefits of chemical modification by using 15 N-cholamine, a so-called “smart tag”, to specifically label carboxyl-containing metabolites [30, 123].…”

Consumer acceptance and aroma characterization of navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) powders prepared by extrusion and conventional processing methods

“…The main advantage of this method is repeatability and the results reflect the differences in sensitivity between the panelists (i.e. minimizing the impact of specific anosmia) . Thus, the method has been shown to be a reliable technique for estimating intensity of odor‐active compounds using untrained panelists …”