ABSTRACT
The analytical flavor chemist is faced daily with the separation and identification of complex mixtures. These mixtures comprise a wide range of organic chemicals that possess varying polarities and reactivities, usually occur in trace concentrations, and are likely included in other complex organic matrices. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a relatively new technique for the rapid, solventless extraction or preconcentration of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. It utilizes the partitioning of organic components between a bulk aqueous or vapor phase and the thin polymeric films coated onto fused silica fibers in the SPME apparatus. Horseradish volatiles consist primarily of allyl and phenylethyl isothiocyanates. These compounds provide the characteristic pungency and flavor of horseradish and impart that character to the products into which horseradish is formulated. The natural chemicals comprising the aroma of fresh fruits are usually complex mixtures of alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and terpenoids that may transform markedly during the ripening cycle.
