Matrix Solid-phase Dispersion Technique Research Articles

Performance of different extraction methods for paralytic shellfish toxins and toxin stability in shellfish during storage.

Accurate analysis of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) in shellfish is important to protect seafood safety and human health. In this study, the performance of different extraction protocols for PSTs from scallop tissues is compared and discussed, including regular extraction solvents hydrochloric acid (HCl) and acetic acid (AcOH) followed by heating and solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification, and a novel technique of matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) without heating. The possible conversion of C1/2 and GTX2/3 standards after heating, and the stability of PSTs in wet scallop tissues stored at -20°C for a 6-month period are also explored. Results showed that the MSPD technique could effectively mitigate matrix interference, but its recoveries of PSTs were significantly lower than those of the HCl and AcOH extraction methods followed by carbon SPE purification. The molar concentrations of M-toxins obtained by the MSPD method were generally lower than those analyzed by the HCl and AcOH extraction methods, which demonstrated a weak chemical conversion of C1/2 and GTX2/3 due to the heating process. Most of the PSTs were relatively stable in scallop tissues during 1-month storage at -20°C, while the concentrations of PSTs in scallop tissues obviously changed after 6 months due to the degradation and transformation of PSTs during long-term storage at -20°C. This work helps improve our understanding of the performance of different extraction methods and the stability of PSTs in scallop tissues stored at -20°C.

Impact of Different Extraction Methods on Furanosesquiterpenoids Content and Antibacterial Activity of Commiphora myrrha Resin.

The oleo-gum-resin of Commiphora myrrha is one of the most known natural antimicrobial agents, mainly due to its furanosesquiterpenes. A validated method based on sample extraction by matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) followed by high-performance column chromatography (HPLC) determination is applied to analyze two furanosesquiterpenoids, namely, 2-methoxyfuranodiene (CM-1) and 2-acetoxyfuranodiene (CM-2), existing in C. myrrha. The trial parameters that controlled the extraction prospective were studied and optimized. These include the nature of dispersant, mass ratio of sample to the dispersant, and the volume of elution solvent. A comparative antimicrobial study that used the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Assay (MIC) method between MSPD, ultrasonic, and Soxhlet of myrrh extracts was also conducted. The optimal MSPD parameters used were (i) 15 mL of methanol applied as elution solvent; (ii) silica gel/sample mass at a 2 : 1 ratio; and (iii) a dispersing sorbent selected as silica gel. Technique retrievals were regulated from 96.87% to 100.54%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) from 1.24% to 4.45%. Commiphora myrrha-MSPD (CM-MSPD) extract showed the highest antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (156.25 μg/mL and 312.5 μg/mL, respectively) and antifungal activity (156.25 μg/mL). Yields acquired through the MSPD technique were larger than yields from other extraction techniques (sonication and traditional reflux extraction methods) with less consumption of time, sample, and solvent. The mode of antibacterial action of CM-1 and CM-2 was elucidated by performing molecular docking with bacterial DNA gyrase. Both the compounds interacted with key residues of DNA gyrase.

Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion Coupled with HPLC-UV for Simultaneous Extraction, Purification and Determination of Six Lignans in Schisandra chinensis Fruits.

An efficient method for simultaneous extraction, purification and determination of six lignans in Schisandra chinensis Baill was developed by employing matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction followed by HPLC-UV determination analysis. Several sorbent and desorption solvent that affected the extraction yield of lignans were investigated; neutral alumina and absolute ethanol were selected as the best dispersing material and desorption agent, respectively. Other extraction conditions for MSPD were optimized as follows: 1:2 of S. chinensis raw material to neutral aluminum oxide mass ratio, 1:30 (g/mL) of sample to absolute ethanol, 2.5h of desorption time and 50°C of desorption temperature. Under the above conditions, the total extraction yield for six lignans have reached (16.99±0.33) x 103 mg/kg with a higher content of 6.88±0.25% in the extracts. Comparative studies were explored by conducting other six extraction approaches including Soxhlet extraction, heat reflux extraction, smashing tissue extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction and ultrasonic-microwave synergistic extraction. Results showed MSPD technique not only improved the extraction yield, but also improved the purity of lignans, it can be generalized to more extraction of natural compounds. In addition, the validated HPLC-UV method had been successfully applied to analysis of lignans from 10 real S. chinensis samples.

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF AN ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE AND METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE IN COSMETIC PRODUCTS USING MATRIX SOLID-PHASE DISPERSION COUPLED TO GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY

Objective: This study was to develop the first simultaneous method for quantification of MI and MCI by using matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) as an extraction technique followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in cosmetic products to support that law enforcement.
 Methods: The MI and MCI were extracted from the cosmetic sample by using matrix solid-phase dispersion technique with alumina as solid sorbent and ethyl acetate as eluent. After being isolated, MI and MCI from the samples were analyzed using GC-MS equipped with DB-5MS capillary column.
 Results: The validated method for both leave-on and rinse-off cosmetic showed that MI and MCI recoveries were between 97.87-103.15 %, relative standard deviation (RSD) values were lower than 11%, and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values for the leave-on product were 0.96 µg/ml and 1.95 µg/ml and for rinse-off products were 0.56 µg/ml and 1.49 µg/ml for MI and MCI, respectively.
 Conclusion: This purposed analytical method for determining MI and MCI in cosmetic products using MSPD-GC-MS complies with the validation acceptance criteria.

Rapid MSPD-LC-MS/MS Procedure for Determination of Pesticides in Potato Tubers.

The program of potato protection recommended by the producers of agrochemicals requires application: thiamethoxam, lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, rimsulfuron and metalaxyl. Therefore, there is a risk that these pesticides are present in tubers, thus posing a toxicological risk to the consumer. In this respect, it is necessary to monitor the presence of these compounds in edible plants. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to develop a novel, simple and robust analytical procedure for simultaneous determination of above-mentioned pesticides in potato tubers. To develop an analytical procedure that fulfills SANTE demands, quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe method and matrix solid phase dispersion technique were investigated. The final determination was conducted by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The obtained experimental data were analyzed by analysis of variance. For the extraction of analytes, matrix solid phase dispersion with octadecyl sorbent and methanol as eluent was chosen, since it provides the validation parameters according to SANTE requirements (recovery: 77-111%, relative standard deviation: 1-10%, limit of quantification: 0.9-5.0μg/kg). This innovative analytical procedure is a practical analytical tool, which was successfully proven by applying it for target pesticides determination in potato tuber samples of different varieties randomly chosen at local markets.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations in dust from various indoor environments in Gdańsk, Poland: Prediction of concentrations in indoor air and assessment of exposure of adults

Monitoring of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in indoor environments involves the determination of their concentrations in air, airborne particles, and settled dust. Each of these is a source of human exposure to PBDEs. In this study, we attempted to model PBDEs concentrations in various typical indoor environments on the basis of real PBDEs measurements in dust collected from them. The analytical procedure for determining the contents of eight analytes in dust was based on the matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) technique. Based on the results obtained, the concentrations of other components of commercial PBDEs blends in dust were estimated. The obtained model of PBDEs distribution between dust and air was used to estimate the exposure of adults to PBDEs in the studied indoor environments. For each tested environment, the dominant route of exposure was dust ingestion. For congeners with log Koa > 12, this was practically the only exposure pathway. A comparison between total PBDEs exposure and oral reference dose (RfD) values enabled an assessment of the risks arising from PBDEs exposure. In all of the studied indoor environments, no risk associated with exposure to PBDEs was noted. However, there is still the need for the extension of environmental PBDEs monitoring in Poland.

A facile cooling-assisted solid-phase microextraction device for solvent-free sampling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from soil based on matrix solid-phase dispersion technique

Solvent-free analysis of organic pollutants from a complex matrix has attracted significant attention. In this work, we designed and fabricated a facile cooling-assisted solid-phase microextraction device (CA-SPME) that could be used for the solvent-free extraction of volatile and semivolatile compounds from a complex matrix using a commercial SPME probe. Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soil samples was carried out to evaluate the performance of the designed CA-SPME device. The effects of heating temperature, cooling temperature, extraction time, and moisture content in soil on extraction efficiency were investigated. To enhance the extraction efficiency of the targeted analytes, the matrix solid-phase dispersion technique (MSPD) by grinding soil with silica gels was applied. The results showed that grinding with silica gels promoted the release of PAHs from the soil matrix to the headspace by disrupting the matrix structure, which then facilitated the extraction efficiency. Under optimized conditions, for all of the targeted PAHs, the method exhibited good linearity (40–4000 ng g−1) with regression coefficients (R2) ranging from 0.9586 to 0.9964. The limits of detection and limits of quantification ranged from 4.2 to 8.5 ng g−1 and 14.0–28.5 ng g−1, respectively. Relative standard deviations corresponding to the analysis of spiked soil samples (n = 5) were 8.1–13.4%. The solvent-free analysis of the certified soil sample using the proposed method demonstrated satisfactory results.

Dual-vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with isotope-dilution ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry for the rapid determination of parabens in indoor dust samples

A reliable and straightforward method was developed for the rapid determination of nine parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, isopropyl-, isobutyl-, pentyl-, hexyl-, and benzyl-parabens) in indoor dust by a mortar/pestle-free and column-free dual-vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (DVA-MSPD) technique. After that, they were determined by isotope-dilution ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-qTOF-MS, or called UHPLC-HRMS) and operating in negative electrospray ionization mode. Optimization of the DVA-MSPD was done using Box-Behnken Design along with response surface methodology. Validation was done by measuring and calculating selectivity, limits of detection (LOD), limits of quantitation (LOQs), precision and trueness (accuracy) of intra- and inter-day analysis. The LOQs of the method ranged from 0.9 to 2.8 ng/g. High precisions for both intra- and inter-day analysis were obtained ranging from 1 to 8%. Excellent trueness (or mean extraction recovery) varied from 93 to 104%. The DVA-MSPD combined with isotope-dilution UHPLC-qTOF-MS was successfully applied to determine parabens in indoor dust samples from office rooms and private houses, and the total concentrations ranged from 55 to 686 ng/g.

Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in dust samples collected in air conditioning filters of different usage – method development

This study presents the results of studies aimed at the development of an analytical procedure for separation, identification, and determination of PBDEs compounds in dust samples collected from automotive cabin air filters and samples collected from filters installed as part of the air purification system in academic facilities. Ultrasound-assisted dispersive solid phase extraction (UA-dSPE) was found to perform better in terms of extract purification than the conventional SPE technique. GC-EIMS was used for final determination of analytes.The concentrations of PBDEs in car filters ranged from < LOD to 688 ng/g while from < LOD to 247 ng/g in dust from air conditioning filters. BDE-47 and BDE-100 were reported the dominating congeners. The estimated exposure to PBDEs via ingestion of dust from car filters varied from 0.00022 to 0.012 ng/day in toddlers and from 0.000036 to 0.0029 ng/day in adults; dust from air conditioning filters: from 0.017 to 0.25 ng/day in toddlers and from 0.0029 to 0.042 ng/day.In addition, an attempt was made at extracting PBDEs from a dust samples using the matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) technique as a promising alternative to conventional SPE separations.

Matrix solid-phase dispersion method coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the simultaneous quantification of selected compounds from freeze dry pomegranate juice

In this research, a novel method was developed for the matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantification of four marker constituents (vitamin C, gallic acid, rutin, and ellagic acid) in the freeze-dried pomegranate fruit juice. Various MSPD parameters like type of dispersant, sample–dispersant ratio, solvents, its volume, and time of extraction have been optimized after many trials. Furthermore, HPLC method has been developed and optimized for the analysis of all four components. The HPLC separation was achieved using a 250 × 4.6 mm column, particle size of 5 μm, C18 reverse phase column, with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.05% H3PO4, in gradient elution mode with a mobile phase flow rate of 1 mL/min, using ultraviolet (UV)–visible detection at 254 nm. All calibration curves showed good linear regression (r2 ≥ 0.9925) within test ranges. The extraction recoveries of the marker constituents analyzed by MSPD methods were found as ranging from 97.5% to 103.5%. From comparing the chromatograms, validation data and other parameters like time, labor, and feasibility, we found that MSPD technique was most suitable for the analysis as compared to conventional liquid–liquid extraction technique.

Desarrollo y validación de un método ambientalmente amigable para la determinación de carbofurano en suelos

&lt;p&gt;En este trabajo se desarrolló y validó un método analítico ambientalmente amigable para la extracción y cuantificación del N-metilcarbamato carbofurano, en muestras de suelos cultivados con papa criolla. La técnica usada para la extracción fue dispersión de matriz en fase sólida (mspd). La cuantificación de los residuos de carbofurano se llevó a cabo por cromatografía de gases con detector de microcaptura de electrones (μ-ecd), con el método del estándar externo. Este método fue comparado con la técnica de extracción Soxhlet para muestras contaminadas con Furadan® 3SC. Se evaluaron diferentes parámetros que afectan el proceso de extracción mspd, como la fase estacionaria, el solvente y el volumen de elución en muestras de suelos dopadas con Furadan® 3SC, con una concentración final de 50 mg/kg de ingrediente activo (carbofurano); se tuvo como variable de respuesta el porcentaje de recuperación. Se encontró que las mejores condiciones de extracción de carbofurano para estas matrices se dieron con 0,2 g de muestra macerados con 0,8 g de sílica gel como adsorbente en una relación 1:4 muestra/adsorbente. Las muestras fueron extraídas en un cartucho con 5 ml de hexano-acetona en relación 8:2 como solvente de elución. La metodología propuesta permitió determinar niveles de trazas de carbofurano en muestras de suelo con porcentajes de recuperación del 96,58 %.&lt;/p&gt;

Analysis of trace levels of sulfonamides in fish tissue using micro-scale pipette tip-matrix solid-phase dispersion and fast liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

A micro-scale matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) technique, using hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) material as sorbent and a pipette tip (PT) as the cartridge, was developed for the extraction and purification of sulfonamides in fish tissue. Eluates from PT-MSPD were analyzed using fast liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The method was fully validated; good linearity was obtained with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99. Precision and accuracy (RSD%) were in the range 1.4–10.3% while mean recoveries were 70.6–95.5%. With this technique, 15 aquatic samples (Collichthys niveatus) were analyzed for sulfonamides. The whole procedure took only 13min (5min for PT-MSPD and 8min for LC), materials for each sample included 5.1mL solvents (0.3mL for PT-MSPD and 4.8mL for LC), and 20mg HLB sorbent. Generally speaking, this method is indeed practical and particularly suitable for widespread drug residue analysis.

Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion Extraction and Quantification of Alpinetin in Amomum Seed using Validated HPLC and HPTLC Methods.

Alpinetin is a flavonoidal constituent of seeds of Amomum subulatum Roxb., recently reported to possess vasorelaxant and antiHIV activities. Simple, accurate and precise HPLC and HPTLC methods were developed for the analysis of alpinetin in A. subulatum seed extracts and extraction technique was optimized to get maximum yield using conventional, ultrasonic and matrix solid phase dispersion extraction. HPLC was performed on a C18 column with methanol and water (70:30, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min whereas HPTLC on silica aluminum sheet (60F254) using toluene, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate as solvent system. A sharp peak was obtained for alpinetin at a retention time (Rt) of 5.7 min by HPLC and retardation factor (Rf) of 0.48 by HPTLC. Both methods were validated as per the ICH guidelines and the content of alpinetin was estimated in different extracts. Matrix solid phase dispersion technique was found most suitable for extracting alpinetin as compared to other techniques. Validation data are indicative of good precision and accuracy and proved the reliability of the methods.

Evaluation of Antibacterial Enrofloxacin in Eggs by Matrix Solid Phase Dispersion-Flow Injection Chemiluminescence

The study based on the chemiluminescence (CL) reaction of potassium ferricyanide and luminol in sodium hydroxide medium, enrofloxacin (ENRO) could dramatically enhance CL intensities and incorporated with matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) technique (Florisil used as dispersant, dichloromethane eluted the target compounds). A simple flow injection chemiluminescence (FL-CL) method with MSPD technique for determination of ENRO in eggs was described. Under optimal conditions, the CL intensities were linearly related to ENRO concentration ranging from4.0×10-8 g.L−1to5.0×10-5 g.L−1, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9989 and detection limit of5.0×10-9 g.L−1. The relative standard deviation was 3.6% at an ENRO concentration of2.0×10-6 g.L−1. Our testing technique can help ensure food safety, and thus, protect public health.

Gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry determination of benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers in sludge samples

In this research, a simplified procedure for the selective determination of nine benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BUVSs) in sludge from urban sewage treatment plants is presented. Analytes were extracted from the sample using the matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) technique and further determined by gas chromatography (GC) with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS). Highly selective chromatographic records were attained considering a mass window of 0.005Da, centred in the quantification product ion corresponding to each compound. Moreover, the availability of accurate ion product scan MS/MS spectra permitted to confirm the identities of peaks observed in extracted ion MS/MS chromatograms. As a result, a straightforward sample preparation procedure combining extraction and clean-up in the same step, and consuming just 10mL of ethyl acetate, sufficed to deal with complex sludge samples. The developed method attained limits of quantification (LOQs) between 2ngg−1 and 10ngg−1, referred to freeze-dried sludge, and recoveries from 70% to 111%, with standard deviations from 2% to 13%. Analysis of sludge samples and certified reference materials confirmed the existence of residues of eight out of nine BUVSs. UV-326, UV-328 and UV-234 displayed the highest occurrence frequencies and individual concentrations above 100ngg−1 in several samples.

Optimization of matrix solid-phase dispersion for liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis of 12 pharmaceuticals in sediments

The matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) technique accompanied with LC–MS/MS detection for the purpose of determination of 12 pharmaceuticals (sulfaguanidine, sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, roxithromycin, praziquantel, febantel, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and procaine) applied to sediment samples has been described in this paper. Different parameters, such as the type of solid phase, the elution solvent and its volume have been investigated. The analytes were successfully extracted by C18 as an MSPD sorbent with 5mL of acetonitrile:5% of oxalic acid=6:4 (v/v) as an elution solvent. The proposed method provides a linear response over the concentration range of 0.0005–100μg/g, depending on pharmaceuticals with correlation coefficients above 0.9928 in all cases except for trimethoprim (0.9889). Also, the method has revealed low limits of detection (0.125–500ng/g), good precision (intra and inter-day), a relative standard deviation below 15% and recoveries above 80%, except for roxithromycin, febantel and enrofloxacin. The method has been successfully applied to analysis of different sediment samples.

Miniaturized molecularly imprinted matrix solid-phase dispersion coupled with high performance liquid chromatography for rapid determination of auxins in orange samples

A simple, convenient and high selective miniaturized molecularly imprinted matrix solid-phase dispersion (mini-MI-MSPD) technique using l-tryptophan-imprinted polymers as sorbents was proposed for simultaneous extraction of four auxins (indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)) from orange samples coupled with high performance liquid chromatography–ultraviolet detection. The molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) synthesized using l-tryptophan as dummy template showed high affinity and selectivity to auxins, and so they were applied as the specific dispersant of MSPD to simultaneously eliminate the effect of template leakage on quantitative analysis. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity was obtained in a range of 0.02–2.00μgg−1 and the average recoveries of four auxins at three spiked levels ranged from 87.6% to 104.5% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤4.4%. The presented mini-MI-MSPD method combined the advantages of MSPD for allowing the extraction, dispersion and homogenization in a single step and the advantages of MIPs for high affinity and selectivity towards four auxins, which could be applied to the determination of auxins in complicated vegetal samples.

Optimization of matrix solid‐phase dispersion conditions for organic fungicides determination in soil samples

A simplified sample preparation method, based on the matrix solid-phase dispersion technique, is proposed for the sensitive determination of 15 organic fungicides in vineyard soils by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Under final working conditions, sieved samples (0.5 g) were blended and dispersed with 2 g of C18 and transferred to a polypropylene syringe containing 1 g of diatomaceous earth. Analytes were recovered using 10 mL of ethyl acetate, this extract was concentrated to 1 mL and fungicides determined by GC-MS, without additional cleanup. The method provided recoveries in the range from 74 to 122% for soils with total carbon contents up to 5.5% and it allowed the use of external standard as quantification technique. Inter-day precision, given as relative standard deviations, stayed between 3 and 13%, and the limits of quantification were comprised between 0.6 and 15 ng g(-1). Several fungicides were found in the top layer of vineyard soils with the highest detection frequency and maximum concentration corresponding to iprovalicarb. Some real samples were also submitted to pressurized liquid extraction. Measured concentrations were in excellent agreement with those obtained by matrix solid-phase dispersion, which reinforces the accuracy of the latter methodology.

Matrix solid-phase dispersion followed by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of benzotriazole UV absorbers in sediments

A cost-effective and low solvent consumption method, based on the matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) technique, for the determination of six benzotriazole UV absorbers in sediments is presented. Sieved samples (0.5 g) were first mixed in a mortar with a solid sorbent and then transferred to a polypropylene syringe containing a layer of clean-up co-sorbent. Analytes were eluted with a suitable solvent and further determined by gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Under final conditions, diatomaceous earth and silica, deactivated to 10%, were used as inert dispersant and clean-up co-sorbent, respectively. Analytes were recovered using just 5 mL of dichloromethane, and this extract was concentrated and exchanged to 1 mL of isooctane. Further removal of co-extracted sulphur was achieved adding activated copper powder to final extracts, which were stored overnight, before injection in the GC-MS/MS system. The accuracy of the method was assessed with river and marine sediment samples showing different carbon contents and spiked at different concentrations in the range from 40 to 500 ng g(-1). Recoveries varied between 78% and 110% with associated standard deviations below 14%. The limits of quantification of the method stayed between 3 and 15 ng g(-1). Levels of target compounds in sediment samples ranged from not detected up to a maximum of 56 ng g(-1) for Tinuvin 328.

Aplicação de métodos quimiométricos na caracterização de charutos utilizando extração por dispersão da matriz em fase sólida e análise por cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas

In this work, the organic compounds of cigar samples from different brands were analyzed. The compound extraction was made using the matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) technique, followed by gas chromatography and identification by mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and standards, when available. Thirty eight organic compounds were found in seven different brands. Finally, with the objective of characterizing and discriminating the cigar samples, multivariate statistical analyses were applied to data, e.g.; principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). With such analyses, it was possible to discriminate three main groups of three quality levels.