An untargeted approach, focused in the profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), was applied to differentiate natural cork stoppers with different levels of porosity, coded as Group 1 (low porosity), Group 2 (intermediate porosity) and Group 3 (high porosity). Statistically significant alterations were found in the levels of several VOCs between cork stoppers of low and intermediate porosity when compared with those of high porosity (Group 1 vs. 3 and Group 2 vs. 3). In addition, the levels of 2-pentylfuran, cyclene, camphene, camphor, limonene and eucalyptol enabled the discrimination of cork stoppers with low porosity (Group 1) into two subgroups, while furfural and 5-methyl-2-furfural enabled the discrimination of subgroups within the intermediate and high porosity stoppers (Group 2 and 3). A headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS/MS) method was developed to quantify the subgroup discriminant compounds, which may provide a proof-of-concept for the development of an efficient method to be applied in cork industry.
Keywords: HS-SPME-GC-MS/MS; Levels of porosity; Natural cork stoppers; Volatile organic compounds.
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