Detection of extraction artifacts in the analysis of honey volatiles using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography.

Extraction using headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC×GC-FID) was employed to evaluate the effect of SPME fractionation conditions (heating time and temperature) on the generation of artifacts. The occurrence of artifacts was more pronounced at higher fractionation temperatures and times which caused significant changes in the chromatographic profiles. The identification of the volatile fraction of the honey blend was performed through a two-dimensional gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer with time of flight analyser (GC×GC-ToFMS) by comparing the first dimension linear temperature programmed retention index ((1)D-LTPRI) with the peak's identities provided by the mass spectral similarity search. Several artifacts were found and identified - such as hydroxymethylfurfural, methyl-furone and furfural - and some of them were not previously detected as such in honey samples. These compounds were either the result of hydrolysis or thermal decomposition of components already present in the honey samples. This occurrence was attributed to the increased detectability provided by GC×GC compared to conventional GC. The possible emergence of previously unknown extraction artifacts as a general tendency related use of GC×GC instead of conventional GC is discussed as a result of these observations.