AUTOMATED PURGE-AND-TRAP GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY ANALYSIS OF HEADSPACE VOLATILES FROM NATURAL-PRODUCTS

Automated purge-and-trap-gas chromatography-mass selective detection-flame ionization detection has been shown to be a viable automated technique for the determination of headspace volatiles of selected natural products. Several tobacco types and a sample of commercially available roasted peanuts were studied. Development of new varieties of tobacco with different leaf chemistries and distribution of volatiles has been monitored using this automated technique. Application of this technique to understanding the effects of product processing on the distribution of volatile materials in tobacco has been documented as well. Identification and semiquantitative analyses of the volatile materials from the peanuts were consistent with previously reported identifications. © Oxford University Press 1992.