Zeolite reduces losses and minimizes fractionation of various flavor compounds during EA-IRMS analysis

Among the methods for confirming the natural origin of flavor compounds, δ13C measurements using IRMS technique are becoming increasingly important. EA-IRMS measures can suffer from errors caused by the volatility of the analyzed compounds and the consequent isotope fractionation. This work suggests a method involving the adsorption of volatile molecules in zeolite before the EA-IRMS analysis, minimizing the possible error due to the volatility of the structures analyzed. The stabilizing effect on any fractionation was proven during the analysis of various molecules which cover a wide range of volatility. The work demonstrates that, by operating with the advised method, the repeatability of EA-IRMS data is very high not only for samples prepared before analysis, but also for samples prepared in a time span of up to 6 h. The proposed method facilitates serial preparation and prevents erroneous results due to the natural volatility of the molecules under evaluation.