Headspace Sorptive Extraction (HSSE) in the headspace analysis of aromatic and medicinal plants

A new sampling technique, Headspace Sorptive Extraction (HSSE), is here applied for the first time to the headspace sampling of medicinal and aromatic plants. The analyte partition coefficient between HSSE-PDMS stir bar and sample headspace (K1), the concentration factor (CF), the reproducibility, and the minimum recoverable amount were determined by analyzing standard solution of high volatility C5-C7 compounds with different polarities and structures (cyclohexane, propyl acetate, hexanal, 1-hexen-3-ol, isoamyl acetate, and 2-heptanol). Four aromatic and medicinal plants, viz. rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), and valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) were analyzed by HSSE-GC with PDMS stir bars, and their concentration capacity was compared with those of S-HS and HS-SPME with different fibers. HSSE showed very high concentration capability with both standard and real sample components.