Solid-phase micro-extraction - Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography of ginger (Zingiber officinale) volatiles

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) headspace has been studied by using solid-phase microextraction (SPME), combined with comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) gas chromatography (GC × GC). A 100 μm PDMS fibre proved to be the most useful in the present study. SPME-GC-MS analysis was also performed to identify the components extracted from the volatile fraction. The ease of SPME makes it a useful tool for qualitative comparison of samples, and here fresh ginger was contrasted with a crystallized ginger sweet. The latter sample had fewer of the more volatile components, but the heavier components appeared to compare well in the two samples. The use of SPME as a sample introduction method for GC × GC was investigated, using the two different ginger samples. The correspondence of retention times in the 2D separation space was found to be excellent, and should allow reliable identification of the compounds if adequate standards or comparative retentions of known components are available.