Quantification of 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone using solid-phase extraction and direct microvial insert thermal desorption gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A GC–MS method for the determination of furaneol in fruit juice was developed using Lichrolut-EN solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled to microvial insert thermal desorption. Lichrolut-EN can effectively extract furaneol from juice, and had much less retention for pigments and other non-volatiles than HLB and C18 columns. The furaneol can be completely eluted out from the Lichrolut-EN SPE column with 1 mL of methanol, which can be directly analyzed on GC–MS using an automated large volume microvial insert thermal desorption technique without further purification and concentration. The method is sensitive, has good recovery (98%) and reproducibility (CV < 4%). The concentration of furaneol in some commonly grown strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry cultivars in Pacific Northwest of the United States was determined. Strawberries had the highest concentration of furaneol with ‘Totem’ and ‘Pinnacle’ cultivars over 13 mg kg−1 fruit. ‘Marion’ blackberry had 5 times more furaneol than ‘Black Diamond’, and 16 times more than ‘Thornless Evergreen’ blackberry. Raspberries had furaneol concentration ranged from 0.8 to 1.1 mg kg−1 fruit.