SPME followed by GC-MS: a powerful technique for qualitative analysis of honey volatiles

Volatile compounds from 40 honey samples of different botanic origin were analyzed by SPME followed by GC-MS. In order to obtain complementary data for an overall characterization of honey aroma, two different SPME fiber coatings (polyacrylate and carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane) were employed. The use of both fibers with a single chromatographic column afforded the identification or characterization, based on GC retention and mass spectral data, of a total of 193 volatile components. A total of 166 honey volatiles were characterized (146 identified) from CAR/PDMS data, this fiber being the most appropriate for isolation of low molecular weight compounds. Polyacrylate fiber was better for extraction of polar semivolatiles, allowing to identify 120 compounds and to characterize 132. Besides typical nectar components such as limonene, linalool, etc., different compounds from fermentation (ethanol and 2,3-butanediol), processing (furan derivatives), hive treatment (thymol), etc. were detected. Although many volatiles were common to most honey samples analyzed, other seemed to be characteristic of certain honey types.