Q-Med är ett medicintekniskt företag som tillverkar medicintekniska produkter, exempelvis produkter som är baserade på gel som innehåller bland annat hyaluronsyra. Gelen är placerad i en spruta som innehåller en gummikolv som är i kontakt med gelen.Idag används allt mer polymera material för olika tillämpningar, bland annat som medicintekniska produkter och läkemedelsförpackningar i läkemedelsbranschen. Q-Meds produkter betraktas som medicintekniska produkter på många marknader. Medicintekniska produkter och läkemedelsförpackningar innehåller ofta material som består av polymerer, exempelvis gummi och plast. På dessa material ställs olika krav så att dessa inte kontaminerar den produkt de är i kontakt med, då detta kan leda till olika negativa konsekvenser, exempelvis toxiska reaktioner i kroppen eller sänkt effektivitet hos läkemedlet/produkten. I och med att polymera material används kan det förekomma olika föroreningar i dessa material, exempelvis tillsatsämnen och reaktionsprodukter. Om dessa substanser läcker ut brukar dessa kallas för ”leachables” och ”extractables” – det finns inga motsvarande namn på svenska. Organiska och oorganiska föreningar är exempel på vad som kan lakas ut ur gummit.Den här rapporten beskriver en studie av gummi (bromobutylgummi) som är i kontakt med en gelprototyp (Prototyp A och Prototyp A-L) för att se vilka föreningar som kan lakas ut från gummit ur perspektivet leachables/extractables. För att ta reda på vilka föreningar som lakas ut från gummit utsattes denna för olika betingelser, som olika pH, temperatur, lösningsmedel, placebolösning och kontakt med produkt. För att kunna analysera vilka föreningar som lakades ut ur gummit i både gasfas och vätskefas användes Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) och GC-MS som analysmetoder. Tre SPME fibrer med olika egenskaper, exempelvis olika polaritet och selektivitet användes för insamling av extraherbara ämnen.Resultaten visar att olika föreningar lakas ut ur gummit. Vid försök att identifiera dessa med ett referensbibliotek för masspektra gav många av dessa föreningar en relativt låg sannolikhet (< 50 %) jämfört med de föreslagna föreningarna. Detta gör det svårt att avgöra om det är en särskild förening som lakas ut eller om det är något liknande ämne som lakas ut. I gasfasen hittades fler föreningar jämfört med vätskefasen. Detta beror bland annat på att det finns fler ämnen som är villiga att gå upp i gasfas på grund av deras affinitet gentemot provet, det vill säga hur villig en förening är att reagera gentemot en annan förening. Två föreningar som dyker upp i de flesta headspace analyserna är 1-Bromo-3-(2-bromoethyl)heptane och butylated hydroxytoulene (BHT).Slutsatsen är att några enstaka föreningar lakas ut från gummit, så som BHT och 1-Bromo-3-(2-bromoethyl)heptane. Vad det gäller de andra föreningarna som lakas ut är det är svårt att avgöra om dessa föreningar verkligen kommer från gummit eller från någon annan källa, exempelvis fiberns omgivning. Detta beror på att SPME-metoden är en känslig metod som kan fånga upp en rad ämnen från sin omgivning. Därför anses det att fler studier måste göras på detta område, fast med en metod som ger mer pålitliga resultat. / Q-Med is a medical device company that manufactures medical devices, for instance a product that is a gel containing hyaluronic acid. The gel is placed in a syringe component containing a stopper made of rubber that is in contact with the gel.Today, increasingly more polymeric materials for various applications are used, for example medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging in the pharmaceutical industry. The products of Q-Med are considered as medical devices in many markets. Medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging often contains materials composed of polymers, for instance rubber and plastics. For these materials there are different requirements so that they do not contaminate the product that they are in contact with. Contamination may lead to negative consequences, such as toxic reactions and a reduced effectiveness of the drug/product.Since it is polymeric materials that are used there might be some potential impurities in the material, these pollutants are called leachables and extractables. Organic and inorganic compounds are examples of what can leach out of the rubber.In this report the rubber (bromobutyl rubber) that is in contact with a gel prototype (Prototype A and Prototype A-L) is studied to see if the rubber leaches out some compounds of the perspective leachables/extractbales. To know if the rubber leaches out some contaminates the rubber was exposed to various conditions. For instance; different pH, temperature, solvent, placebo solution and contact with the product. In order to analyze which pollutants leached out of the rubber, Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) and GC-MS where used as analytical methods. Three SPME-fibers with different polarity and selectivity where used for the collection of extractable compounds.The results show that the rubber leaches out different compounds. Many of these have a low probability compared to the spectra of masses in the used reference library. This makes it difficult to determine if there is special compound that leaches out or if it is a similar compound that leaches out. When compared, more compounds were found in the gas phase than the liquid phase. This is partly because there are more compounds that are willing to get up in the gas phase, because of the compounds affinity to the sample, for example different polarity. The two main compounds, which are found in the most headspace analyses, are 1-Bromo-3- (2-bromoethyl) heptane and butylated hydroxytoulene.The conclusion is that some compounds, for instance 1-Bromo-3- (2-bromoethyl) heptane and butylated hydroxytoulene leaches out in the gas phase. For other compounds it’s hard to determine if they come from the rubber or from another source from it’s surrounding. This is because the SPME-method is a sensitive method that can absorb a number of compounds from its surroundings. It is therefore considered that more studies must be done in this area but with another method that give more reliable results.

One great issue of reforestation is the infestation of pest insects. The pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.) is one of the economically most important pest insects in Europe and Asia. When insects feed on the trees the plants emit compounds that repel the insects. Methyl salicylate (MeSA) is one substance known to be emitted by conifer seedlings after herbivore feeding. Similar compounds are emitted by fungus isolated from pine weevil frass. Female pine weevils add frass to the egg laying site to protect the eggs from other pine weevils. The goal of the project was to cultivate the fungi Ophiostoma pluriannulatum and analyze the volatile substances. The fungus was cultivated using natural pine weevil frass (NF) as main substrate. Later new batches were prepared using lignin and potato dextrose broth (PDB), as feeding media to compare the results. Two sampling methods were used, SPME and adsorption with Porapak™ polymer column packing material. These samples were analyzed using GC-MS. Methyl salicylate was found in NF fungi cultures, peaking after ten days. Another, unexpected, product of the fungi was a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon. The lignin and the PDB samples did not produce MeSA. However, the sesquiterpene could be found in the lignin samples.

Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) associated with Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE)^(1-3) , on-line headspace derivatization ^(4-6) and the selectivity of different SPME coatings ⁽⁷⁾ were studied. Trace amounts of Veltol ®, Veltol Plus® and short chain fatty acids in food samples were analyzed by GC/MS. Since SPME is not directly applicable to solid samples, SPME associated with MAE techniques was studied for solids, primarily food samples. The efficiency of classical solvent extraction and MAE was compared. The parameters which affect SPME, were optimized for the determination of Veltol® and Veltol Plus® in food products such as potato chips and coffee. The technique gave a detection limit of 2 ppb for Veltol Plus ® which is 200 times more sensitive than conventional GC technique. Headspace injection is characterized by simple and easy handling of complicated solid and solution matrices. Headspace injection, however, is not suitable for high molecular weight substances or non-volatile compounds. An on-line derivatization headspace technique was studied for short chain fatty acids. These samples are difficult to do by classical GC. The developed technique simplified the conventional derivatization procedures and combined the sample preparation and GC/MS analysis into one step. The thermostatting temperature, time, solvent and matrix effects were investigated. Low calorie fat and some agricultural samples were analyzed. The detection limit for acetic acid is 8 ppb. SPME is a novel sample introduction technique. The behavior of di(methylsiloxane), polyacrylate and Carbowax coatings on SPME fibers for compounds having different functional groups were investigated. The selectivities of the coating, sample pH and the sample temperature were investigated. / Ph. D.

Lambic beer is one of the oldest beer styles still being brewed in the western world today and the only beer that is still brewed through spontaneous fermentation. Lambic beers are only produced within a 500 km radius of Brussels because of the natural microflora found within the air in that region. Little is known about the chemical composition of lambic beers. The objective of this research were (1) to compare SPME and SAFE for the isolation of flavor and aroma compounds,  (2) determine the volatile composition and acids of commercially available lambic gueuze using SPME/GC-MS and HPLC, and (3) determine the major aroma compounds of aging lambic beer using GC-O.  Comparing the two extraction methods, both SPME and SAFE were able to identify a similar number of chemical compounds, however SAFE identified a greater number of acid compounds. A total of 50 compounds were identified within nine commercial brands of lambic beer. HPLC was used in the identification and quantification of acetic and lactic acids. The concentration of acetic acid in the commercial products ranged from 723 mg/L â " 1624 mg/L and lactic acid ranged from 995 â " 2557 mg/L. GC-O was used in the analysis of aged (3-28 months) lambic beer samples. As the samples increased in age, the number of aroma compounds detected by the panelists also increased. Panelists were detected nine aroma compounds in the 3 month old sample, while 17 compounds were detected in the 28 month old sample. The research conduct increased the number of volatile and semi-volatile compounds identified in lambic beer from 27 to 50. / Ph. D.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is one of the most widely used instrumental techniques for chemical analyses in forensic science laboratories around the world due to its versatility and robustness. The most common type of chemical evidence submitted to forensic science laboratories is seized drug evidence, the analysis of which is largely dominated by GC-MS. Despite this, some drugs are difficult or impossible to analyze by GC-MS under normal circumstances. For these drugs, derivatization can be employed to make them more suitable for GC-MS. In Chapter 1, the derivatization of primary amino and zwitterionic drugs with three different derivatization agents, trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA); N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide + 1% trimethylchlorosilane (BSTFA + 1% TMCS); and dimethylformamide dimethylacetal (DMF-DMA), is discussed. The chromatographic performance was quantified for comparison between the derivatives and their parent drugs. Peak symmetry was compared using the asymmetry factor (As), separation efficiency was measured by the number of theoretical plates (N), and sensitivity was compared by measuring the peak areas. In Chapter 2, derivatization techniques were adapted for an automated on-fiber derivatization procedure using a technique called total vaporization solid phase microextraction (TV-SPME). TV-SPME is a variation of SPME in which a small volume of sample solution is used which can be totally vaporized, removing the need to consider the equilibrium between analytes in the solution and analytes in the headspace. By allowing derivatization agent to adsorb to the SPME fiber prior to introduction to the sample vial, the entire derivatization process can take place on the fiber or in the headspace surrounding it. The use of a robotic sampler made the derivatization procedure completely automated. In Chapter 3, this on-fiber derivatization technique was tested on standards of 14 controlled substances as well as on realistic samples including simulated “street meth”, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in mixed drinks, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, and was also tested on several controlled substances as solid powders. Future work in this area is discussed in Chapter 4, including adapting the method to toxicological analyses both in biological fluids and in hair. Some of the expected difficulties in doing so are discussed, including the endogenous nature of GHB in the human body. The presence of natural GHB in beverages is also discussed, which highlights the need for a quantitative addition to the method. Additional method improvements are also discussed, including proposed solutions for complete derivatization of more of the analytes, and for decreasing analysis time.

This diploma thesis is focused on the problematic of assessment of 26 most important allergenic aroma compounds in foods, flavoured herbal teas were chosen as the model samples. Aroma is the one of the main characteristics of tea, which is closely linked to taste and odour. The theoretical part of this work is focused on the characteristics of tea, tea types, producing technology, classification according to the fermentation and also their undeniable impact on the human organism. In the experimental part, the allergenic aroma compounds in 10 chosen samples of flavoured tea were identified and quantified using the solid phase microextraction (SPME-GC-FID) in conjunction with gas chromatography. The work also includes sensory evaluation of taste and smell of tea samples by qualified assessors.

Our study focuses on the application of volatile metabolomics and chemometrics in plant pathology. Specifically, volatile metabolites or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the American chestnut tree (Castanea dentata) and its pathogenic fungus Cryphonectria parasitica have been investigated. The American chestnut was once a dominant tree species in the eastern forests of the United States. However, it was nearly devastated by the fungal pathogen C. parasitica. The loss of this tree species has significantly impacted the ecosystem. Therefore, preservation and restoration of American chestnut are crucial. Chapter one provides an overview of mass spectrometry based volatile metabolomics and their implementation in the investigation of plant pathology. The study of volatile metabolites profiles from virulent and hypovirulent strains of C. parasitica are presented in chapter two. The microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) profiles were analyzed via nondestructive sampling method, headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME), combined with gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS). The results indicate that the MVOCs profiles emitted from these two strains are significantly different. In general, compared with its hypovirulent strains, high emissions of sesquiterpenes were observed in the virulent strains. Furthermore, the study explored MVOCs differences associated with hypovirulence processes. The study found that both hypovirulence and aging can alter the virulent strains' MVOCs, and the process can be observed via their volatile metabolites. Chapter three describes the effects of aging, cultivation medium, and pH on fungal volatile metabolite profiles, all of which can change the strength of MVOCs emission and their composition. An acidic environment favors fungal bioactivity and therefore enhanced MVOCs emission. However, due to the inherently low MVOCs production from hypovirulent strains, the pH effect was less apparent in the hypovirulent isolates. The strength of MVOCs emission was highly correlated to the fungal expansion in virulent strains for the first 14 days. The overall emission from hypovirulent strains was relatively steady during the 28-day observation. Finally, the cultivation media are critical to the fungal MVOCs production. Among the tested media, cornmeal was least favorable for MVOCs production for both strains. Finally, Chapter Four presents a study of the total constitutive phenolic content estimation and volatile organic compounds identification from four species of chestnut tree leaf tissues. Folin Ciocalteu reagent assay with UV/Vis spectrophotometry was applied to estimate the total phenolic content in leaf tissues of American chestnut (Castanea dentata), Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima), and their backcross breeding generations (B3F2 and B3F3). The results from leaf tissue extraction in methanol/water (95:5 v/v), pH 2, and analyzed under the UV/Vis at 765 nm show that the variations among these tree species are significant (ANOVA, p < 0.05). The kinetics of phenolic compound solid-liquid extraction was elaborated using Peleg, second order, and power law models. Moreover, the analysis of VOCs collected from these species indicated that the distinction of American and Chinese chestnut could be archived via their VOCs, while the hybrids’ leaf VOCs are different from their parents’.

No description available.

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Spongiaires Irciniidae de Méditerranée : Chimiotaxonomie, métabolites volatils et bio-indicateurs de pollution par les éléments traces métalliquesLe projet de recherche qui m’a été confié concerne l’étude des éponges Irciniidae de Méditerranée : Ircinia oros, I. variabilis, I. dendroides, Sarcotragus spinosulus et S. foetidus ; collectées, dans le cadre du programme ECIMAR (ANR Biodiversité 2006), dans huit différents sites : détroit de Gibraltar (Ceuta - Espagne), bassin nord occidental (Costa Blanca et l’Estartit – Espagne et Banyuls, Marseille et l’île de Corse - France) et le bassin oriental (Crète - Grèce et Liban).La famille Irciniidae est actuellement constituée de trois genres : Ircinia, Sarcotragus et Psammocinia. La systématique de ces éponges est relativement complexe. Ainsi, le statut de Sarcotragus est considéré comme incertain et la distinction entre certaines espèces d’Ircinia fait encore l’objet de nombreuses discussions. Pour tenter de clarifier ce désordre de la classification biologique, nous avons choisi, dans un premier temps, une étude chimiotaxonomique basée sur la RMN 1H et les analyses multivariées. Par cette approche de métabolomique des différentes espèces, nous avons pu démontrer que les genres Ircinia et Sarcotragus sont caractérisés, d’un point de vue chimique, par des marqueurs chimiotaxonomiques appartenant respectivement à la famille des furanoterpènes et des hydroquinones prénylées.Dans un second temps, nous avons mené une étude comparative des composés volatils présents dans les espèces I. oros, I. variabilis, I. dendroides et S. spinosulus, provenant de trois sites : Marseille, Ceuta et Costa blanca. En effet, des composés volatils comme le diméthylsulfure, le méthylisocyanate et le méthylisothiocyanate, sont présents dans Ircinia felix et ils sont responsables de la forte odeur caractéristique et nauséabonde de cette espèce. L’identité et le rôle écologique potentiel de l’ensemble des volatils sont encore peu étudiés. Plusieurs hypothèses concernant leurs origines ont été proposées (éponge et/ou symbiote) sans toutefois parvenir à une conclusion certaine. De plus, les composés volatils présents dans les éponges Sarcotragus n’ont pas été étudiés, bien qu’elles se distinguent également par une forte odeur. Dans ce cadre, nous avons mis au point un protocole d’étude des composés volatils des spongiaires en utilisant la microextraction SPME de l’espace de tête et l’analyse par CG-SM et/ou CG*CG-MS. Les composés identifiés sont des alcanes, des alcènes, des aldéhydes, des dérivés furaniques et soufrés, issus fort probablement de la dégradation de terpénoïdes par les bactéries associées aux éponges.Enfin, nous avons réalisé une étude comparative de la bioaccumulation d’éléments trace métalliques (ETM) par I. oros, I. variabilis et S. spinosulus, afin d’identifier de potentiels bioindicateurs de pollution par les ETM dont la contamination a considérablement augmenté en Méditerranée pendant ces 20 dernières années. Notre étude a révélé que les différentes espèces semblent bioaccumuler l’arsenic, le chrome, le cuivre, le fer et le plomb, alors qu’elles régulent le cadmium. / The Irciniidae marine sponges from the Mediterranean Sea: secondary metabolism, volatile compounds and potential bio-indicators of a heavy metal pollutionMarine sponges of the Irciniidae family (I. oros, I. variabilis, I. dendroides, S. spinosulus and S. foetidus) collected during the french ANR program ECIMAR from eight different areas over the Mediterranean Sea: Gibraltar Straits (Ceuta - Spain), North Western basin (Costa Blanca and Estartit – Spain and Banyuls, Marseille and Corsica Island - France, and Monaco) and Eastern basin (Crete - Greece and Lebanon) were studied.We used first a chemotaxonomical approach based on 1H NMR chemical fingerprints and multivariate analysis to better characterize the species. Systematic of the Irciniidae family is still unclear, notably the status of Sarcotragus is viewed as uncertain and the distinction of some Ircinia species remains difficult. To clarify this biological classification disorder, we used a chemosystematics strategy. In the present study, we showed that Ircinia and Sarcotragus genera are chemically characterized by chemotaxonomic markers belonging to furanoterpenes and prenylated hydroquinones families respectively. We report also a comparative GC-MS analysis of the volatile components of S. spinolusus, I. oros, I. variabilis and I. dendroides using static headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME). Sponges of the genus Ircinia were described to exude low-molecular-weight volatile compounds (e.g., dimethyl sulfide, methyl isocyanide, methyl isothiocyanate) that give these sponges a characteristic strong and unpleasant odor. To date, the volatile constituents of sponges of the genus Sarcotragus have not been studied, though their odor is no lighter than the associated genus Ircinia from the same family. The impact of different parameters (e.g., sample weight, fiber coating, extraction time and temperature) was evaluated to determine the best conditions of analysis. The types of compounds identified include alkanes, alkenes, aldehydes, ketones, furans, and sulfides probably produced from bacterial degradation of naturally occurring terpenoids. Finally, we performed a comparative study on metal bioaccumulation by I. oros, I. variabilis, and S. spinosulus to select the most suitable species for metal monitoring. Contamination by heavy metals has increased drastically in the coastal Mediterranean during the last 20 years. Arsenic, chromium, copper, iron and lead bioaccumulation were shown to fit an accumulation strategy, while cadmium seemed to be bio-regulated.