Tasting "Weird and Wild" Jelly Bean Flavors Using
HS SPME Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
LECO Corporation; Saint Joseph, Michigan USA
®
Key Words: GC-TOFMS, GC-MS, Pegasus BT, Flavor
1. Introduction
Bring Your Child to Work Day is a national event in the United States, which is often difficult for children of scientists to
celebrate due to lab safety protocols. This application note details a safe experiment designed to stimulate interest in the
sciences for all ages while demonstrating the ease-of-use and capabilities of a new benchtop Time-of-Flight GC-MS to
effectively differentiate exotic flavor profiles in store-purchased jelly beans.
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Lime", Terpinolene, at 9.52912 min, Area (Counts)
1.6e7
93.06
121.08
1.4e7
2.7e9
1.2e7
1.0e7
0.8e7
0.6e7
0.4e7
2.4e9
Lime
0.2e7
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 907 - Library: replib - Terpinolene, Abundance
121
1000
900
2.1e9
800
700
600
500
400
300
51
200
1.8e9
100
0
M/Z
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
1.5e9
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Grass Clippings", 3-Hexen-1-ol, (Z)-, at 10.2783 min, Area (Counts)
1.2e9
6e7
67.07
41.07
5e7
Green Grass
4e7
3e7
0.9e9
2e7
1e7
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 923 - Library: replib - 3-Hexen-1-ol, (Z)-, Abundance
0.6e9
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
0.3e9
300
200
100
0
M/Z
0
Time (min)
2.5
40
60
80
5
Lime
Compound Name & Descriptors
D-Limonene (citrus, orange, fresh, sweet)
ç-Terpinene (lemon/lime, tropical)
terpinolene (fresh, citrus, lemon and lime-like, terpy)
octanal (green with peely citrus orange)
100
120
7.5
10
12.5
15
17.5
20
Green Grass
Compound Name & Descriptors
(Z)-3-hexen-1-ol (fresh green cut grass)
estragole (sweet, phenolic, weedy)
benzyl alcohol (floral, rose)
Figure 1. The figure above shows GC-MS total ion chromatograms (TIC) for a good-flavored jelly bean (Top, lime) vs. a bad-flavored one
(Bottom, green grass) along with Peak True (deconvoluted) and NIST library spectra for a key flavor-contributing compound from each
jelly bean. The table contains additional flavor-contributing compounds and their flavor descriptors, which each child used to successfully
choose good-flavored jelly beans.
Life Science and Chemical Analysis Solutions
As part of the experiment, children participated in a game, taking turns selecting jelly beans from one of several visuallyidentical pairs. Each jelly bean pair had either an appealing or appalling taste. After tasting their selections, each child
quickly realized there was no way to successfully predict which jelly bean was the appealing taste. In the second part of the
experiment, the children were allowed to prepare and analyze a portion of their jelly beans using the Pegasus BT GC-MS,
and use the data to assist them in making their selection. When using the GC-MS data, the children were consistently
successful at selecting their preferred flavor.
Delivering the Right Results
2. Experimental
As part of the experiment, children participated in a game in which they took turns selecting a jelly bean from one of
the matching pairs shown in Table I below.
Table I. Description of Jelly Bean Pairs
Good
Fruity
Popcorn
Peach
Lime
Blueberry
Chocolate
Bad
Smelly Socks
Spoiled Eggs
Vomit
Green Grass
Minty Toothpaste
Dog Food
They were then asked to taste their selection to see if they had "won" or "lost" by selecting an appealing vs. appalling
flavor. It was evident that selections based on visual appearance of the jelly beans alone led to random results
during the taste tests. Example responses from our willing participants are shown in the photos below.
A second round of the game was started, and each child was given an option to have LECO's Pegasus BT GC-MS
system "taste" the jelly beans first, prior to the children making a selection. The components identified by the GC-MS,
and their respective taste and odor descriptors, were used to aid in selecting jelly beans in this round.
The children participated in safely preparing the jelly beans for a HS-SPME GC-MS experiment that would provide
the data used to influence their selections. A portion of a single jelly bean was placed into a 20 mL HS vial along with
5 mL of HPLC grade H2O, and 1g of NaCl.
The children were then able to load the samples into the autosampler of the GC-MS system and start the sample queue
on their own.
A 1 cm PDMS/Carboxen/DVB SPME fiber was used to extract aroma compounds from the headspace of each jelly bean
and deliver them to the GC–MS for analysis. An Rtx-200 MS column was used for the chromatographic separation. The
TOFMS data were acquired from 30 to 500 m/z at 20 spectra/second. The jelly beans were analyzed on the Pegasus BT
under the conditions shown below in Table II.
Gas Chromatograph
Injection
Carrier Gas
Column
Oven Program
Transfer Line
Mass Spectrometer
Ion Source Temperature
Mass Range
Acquisition Rate
Agilent 7890 with LECO L-PAL 3 Autosampler
2 min SPME desorption, Split 10:1 at 250 ° C
He @ 1.0 mL/min, Constant Flow
Rtx-200 MS, 30 m x 0.25 mm i.d. x 0.25 µm coating (Restek)
5 min at 35 °C, ramp 20 °C/min to 240 °C, hold 5 min
250 °C
LECO Pegasus BT
250 °C
30-500 m/z
20 spectra/s
3. Results and Discussion
The benchtop time-of-flight GC-MS data was used to differentiate the visually identical jelly beans based on the
components detected and identified in their headspace. The data was compiled into tables with key analytes and their
taste/odor descriptors so that the kids could use the information to influence their decision when making their secondround jelly bean taste selections.
The Total Ion Chromatograms (TICs) with tables containing the key differentiating ingredients for each Jelly Bean type
are shown in Figures 2 through 6. Each chromatogram also includes a Peak True (deconvoluted) mass spectrum from
one of the key taste/odor analytes and the NIST library match with similarity score for tentative identification.
Life Science and Chemical Analysis Solutions
Table II. GC-TOFMS (Pegasus BT) Conditions
Delivering the Right Results
2.7e9
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Tutti Fruitti", Ethyl butyrate, at 6.28611 min, Area (Counts)
43.07
1.0e8
0.8e8
0.6e8
2.4e9
0.4e8
0.2e8
Fruity
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 956 - Library: mainlib - Ethyl butyrate, Abundance
2.1e9
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
1.8e9
200
100
0
M/Z
40
60
80
100
120
140
1.5e9
1.2e9
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Stinky Socks", Isovaleric acid, at 12.3157 min, Area (Counts)
60.01
5e7
Smelly Socks
4e7
3e7
0.9e9
2e7
1e7
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 885 - Library: replib - Isovaleric acid, Abundance
0.6e9
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
0.3e9
300
200
100
0
M/Z
0
Time (min)
2.5
40
60
5
80
100
120
7.5
140
10
12.5
Fruity
15
17.5
20
Smelly Socks
Compound Name & Descriptors
isobutyl acetate (sweet, fruity, tropical)
ethyl butyrate (fruity, pineapple, sweet)
3-methyl-1-butanol-acetate (sweet, fruity, banana)
d-limonene (sweet, orange, citrus)
linalool (citrus, floral, sweet, orange, lemon)
(E)-citral (citrus, lemon)
Compound Name & Descriptors
hexanoic acid (sour, fatty, sweat, cheesy)
octanoic acid (rancid, cheesy, oily)
isovaleric acid (sour, stinky feet, sweaty, cheese)
2-methyl-pentanoic acid (sour, cheese)
Figure 2. The figure above shows GC-MS total ion chromatograms (TIC) for a good-flavored jelly bean (Top, Fruity) vs. a bad-flavored
one (Bottom, Smelly Socks) along with Peak True (deconvoluted) and NIST library spectra for a key flavor contributing compound from
each jelly bean. The table contains additional flavor contributing compounds and their flavor descriptors.
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Butter Popcorn", 2-Acetylpyridine, at 11.9238 min, Area (Counts)
2.1e9
79.02
1.6e7
1.4e7
1.2e7
1.0e7
0.8e7
Popcorn
0.6e7
1.8e9
0.4e7
0.2e7
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 918 - Library: replib - 2-Acetylpyridine, Abundance
1000
900
800
700
1.5e9
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
M/Z
40
60
80
100
120
140
1.2e9
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Rotten Eggs", Dimethyl sulfide, at 1.98721 min, Area (Counts)
46.99
4e7
0.9e9
3e7
2e7
Spoiled Eggs
1e7
0.6e9
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 977 - Library: replib - Dimethyl sulfide, Abundance
1000
900
800
700
600
500
0.3e9
400
300
200
100
0
M/Z
0
Time (min)
2.5
40
60
5
Popcorn
Compound Name & Descriptors
2,3-pentanedione (toasted, buttery, creamy, caramellic)
Butyl butyrolactate (creamy, buttery, buttermilk)
2-acetyl pyridine (popcorn, heavy corn)
gamma decalactone (coconut, buttery, sweet)
80
100
120
7.5
140
10
12.5
15
17.5
20
Spoiled Eggs
Compound Name & Descriptors
2-methyl-benzenethiol (meaty, sulferous, egg)
dimethyl sulfide (sulfery, onion, cabbage)
dimethyl disulfide (sulferous cabbage, malt, cream)
s-(methylthio) butyrate (sulfury, cheese, putrid, musty, limberger-type cheese)
Figure 3. The figure above shows GC-MS total ion chromatograms (TIC) for a good-flavored jelly bean (Top, Popcorn) vs. a badflavored one (Bottom, Spoiled Eggs) along with Peak True (deconvoluted) and NIST library spectra for a key flavor contributing
compound from each jelly bean. The table contains additional flavor contributing compounds and their flavor descriptors.
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Peach", ç-Decalactone, at 14.9241 min, Area (Counts)
1.8e8
85.01
1.6e8
1.8e9
1.4e8
1.2e8
1.0e8
0.8e8
Peach
0.6e8
0.4e8
0.2e8
0
1.5e9
Library Hit - Similarity: 977 - Library: replib - ç-Decalactone, Abundance
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
1.2e9
200
100
0
M/Z
0.9e9
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Barf", Diallyl sulfide, at 7.99876 min, Area (Counts)
44.98
2e6
Vomit
1e6
0.6e9
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 916 - Library: replib - Diallyl sulfide, Abundance
1000
900
800
700
0.3e9
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
40
60
80
100
2.5
120
140
5
7.5
10
12.5
Peach
15
17.5
20
Vomit
Compound Name & Descriptors
isoamyl butyrate (fruity, green, apricot, pear, green apple)
hexyl acetate (fruity, fresh, sweet banana)
geranyl isobutyrate (peach, sweet, floral)
gamma-Dodecalactone (peach, sweet fruity)
gamma-decalactone (fruity, creamy, peach)
Compound Name & Descriptors
2-nonanone (cheesy, green, fruity, dairy, dirty)
diallyl sulfide (sulfurous, onion-garlic, horseradish)
2-undecanone (creamy cheese like notes)
hexanoic acid (sour, fatty, sweat, cheesy)
octanoic acid (rancid, soapy, cheesy, fatty)
carvacrol (spicy, herbal, medicinal)
Figure 4. The figure above shows GC-MS total ion chromatograms (TIC) for a good-flavored jelly bean (Top, Peach) vs. a bad-flavored
one (Bottom, Vomit) along with Peak True (deconvoluted) and NIST library spectra for a key flavor contributing compound from each
jelly bean. The table contains additional flavor contributing compounds and their flavor descriptors.
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Berry Blue", Dimethylbenzylcarbinyl acetate, at 12.8965 min, Area (Counts)
43.02
1.0e8
0.9e8
0.8e8
2.7e9
0.7e8
0.6e8
Blueberry
0.5e8
0.4e8
0.3e8
0.2e8
2.4e9
0.1e8
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 923 - Library: mainlib - Dimethylbenzylcarbinyl acetate, Abundance
1000
900
800
2.1e9
700
600
500
400
300
200
1.8e9
100
0
M/Z
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
1.5e9
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Tooth Paste", (-)-Carvone, at 12.7556 min, Area (Counts)
81.99
1.2e9
6e7
5e7
Minty Toothpaste
4e7
3e7
0.9e9
2e7
1e7
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 952 - Library: replib - (-)-Carvone, Abundance
0.6e9
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
0.3e9
300
200
100
0
M/Z
0
Time (min)
2.5
60
80
100
5
Blueberry
Compound Name & Descriptors
Linalool (citrus, orange, sweet)
ethyl nonanoate (fruity and tropical)
dimethylbenzylcarbinyl acetate (sweet, fruity, berry, jasmin)
ethyl butyrate (fruity, pineapple)
ethyl isovalerate (sweet, fruity, apple, pineapple)
ethyl hexanoate (sweet, pineapple, banana)
120
140
160
7.5
180
10
12.5
15
17.5
20
Minty Toothpaste
Compound Name & Descriptors
menthol (cooling, minty)
carvone (minty, spearmint)
methyl-salicylate (minty, wintergreen)
cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon, red hots, spicy)
Figure 5. The figure above shows GC-MS total ion chromatograms (TIC) for a good-flavored jelly bean (Top, Blueberry) vs. a badflavored one (Bottom, Minty Toothpaste) along with Peak True (deconvoluted) and NIST library spectra for a key flavor contributing
compound from each jelly bean. The table contains additional flavor contributing compounds and their flavor descriptors.
Life Science and Chemical Analysis Solutions
M/Z
0
Time (min)
Delivering the Right Results
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Chocolate Pudding", Pyrazine, tetramethyl-, at 10.9723 min, Area (Counts)
54.04
5e6
4e6
8.4e8
3e6
Chocolate
2e6
1e6
0
Library Hit - Similarity: 945 - Library: replib - Pyrazine, tetramethyl-, Abundance
7.2e8
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
6.0e8
200
100
0
M/Z
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
4.8e8
Peak True - sample "HS SPME Dog Food", bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide, at 14.9571 min, Area (Counts)
112.99
8e6
7e6
Dog Food
6e6
3.6e8
5e6
4e6
3e6
2e6
1e6
0
2.4e8
Library Hit - Similarity: 893 - Library: mainlib - Furan, 3,3'-dithiobis[2-methyl-, Abundance
113
1000
900
800
700
600
500
1.2e8
400
300
200
100
0
M/Z
0
Time (min)
2.5
50
75
100
125
5
150
175
7.5
200
225
10
12.5
Chocolate
15
17.5
20
Dog Food
Compound Name & Descriptors
3-methlbutanal (chocolate, peach, fatty)
vanillin (creamy chocolate, sweet vanilla)
tetramethyl pyrazine (musty, nutty, chocolate coffee, cocoa)
Compound Name & Descriptors
1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy, raw chicken, oily, fungal)
2-acetylthiazole (cornchip with musty background, popcorn, roasted peanuts)
2,4-decadienal (fatty, oily, chicken, fried, slight rancid tallow)
triacetin (creamy, with an oily mouth feel)
bis(2-methyl-3-furyl)disulfide (strong meaty, brothy, roasted savory, cooked onion, garlic and black pepper)
Figure 6. The figure above shows GC-MS total ion chromatograms (TIC) for a good-flavored jelly bean (Top, Chocolate) vs. a badflavored one (Bottom, Dog Food) along with Peak True (deconvoluted) and NIST library spectra for a key flavor contributing
compound from each jelly bean. The table contains additional flavor contributing compounds and their flavor descriptors.
4. Conclusion
With the use of the Pegasus BT data, the children were able to predict the appealing and appalling flavored jelly beans
based on the taste profile for the analytes which were identified by GC-MS in each of the jelly bean varieties.
The kids found the experiment exciting and were exposed to analytical chemistry in a fun, safe, and educational way.
LECO, Pegasus, and ChromaTOF are trademarks of LECO Corporation.
LECO Corporation | 3000 Lakeview Avenue | St. Joseph, MI 49085 | Phone: 800-292-6141 | 269-985-5496
[email protected] • www.leco.com | ISO-9001:2008 | HQ-Q-994 | LECO is a registered trademark of LECO Corporation.
Form No. 203-821-529
10/16-REV0
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