Non-targeted screening of maple syrup based on LC-HRMS and FTIR: a proof-of-concept

Citadelle是魁北克最大的糖枫种植者和枫糖浆生产商合作社，活跃于枫糖浆和枫糖浆产品的制造、加工和营销。枫糖浆是由从枫树（Acer saccharum）收集的汁液热蒸发而成的。虽然枫糖浆在当今世界闻名，但其化学成分尚未得到全面的描述。目前，通过专家小组品尝或使用间接光谱工具来识别其质量缺陷。然而，到目前为止，还没有一项研究全面地确定了导致枫糖浆质量缺陷的分子。Citadelle决定与研究人员一起采取积极措施，确定与枫糖浆口味缺陷和掺假有关的标记分子。这项研究将使他们能够设计未来的工具来监测枫木产品的质量。第一项任务，即检测和识别“未知”的异味化学物质，依赖于一种称为非靶向分析的非常规方法。此Engage Grant申请旨在建立Citadelle和申请人麦吉尔大学的Bayen博士之间的合作。该项目的目标是：(i)开发一种使用HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS的方法来建立枫糖浆的化学特征（次要成分），（ii）建立一系列枫糖浆样品的化学特征，有或没有味道缺陷，或添加了不同类型的掺假物，并确定潜在的标记物来追踪味道缺陷或掺假，以及（iii）测试ATR-FTIR针对枫糖浆中特定分子的能力。本申请中所述的概念验证项目的成功完成，将为申请人和Citadelle之间在识别其他缺陷标记和开发枫糖浆质量监测原型方面的进一步合作奠定基础。

The company partner in this Engage Grant, Citadelle, is Quebec's largest cooperative of sugar maple growers and maple syrup producers active in maple syrup and maple product manufacturing, processing, and marketing. Maple syrup is produced by heat evaporation of sap collected from maple trees (Acer saccharum). While maple syrup is globally famous nowadays, its chemical composition has not been comprehensively described. Currently, defects in its quality may be identified through expert panel tasting or using indirect spectroscopy tools. To date though, no study has comprehensively identified the molecules responsible for quality defects in maple syrup. Citadelle has decided to take a proactive step with researchers to identify marker molecules associated with maple syrup taste defects and adulteration. This research would allow them to design future tools to monitor the quality of maple products. This first task, i.e. the detection and identification of "unknown" off-flavor chemicals, rely on a non-routine approach called non-targeted analysis. This Engage Grant application seeks to establish a collaboration between Citadelle and the applicant, Dr Bayen at McGill University. The objectives of this project are: (i) develop a method using HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS to establish the chemical profile (minor components) of maple syrup, (ii) establish the chemical profiles of a range of maple syrup samples with or without taste defects, or spiked with different types of adulterants, and identify potential markers to trace taste defects or adulteration, and (iii) test the capacity of ATR-FTIR to target specific molecules in maple syrup. Successful completion of the proof-of-concept project described in this application will lay the foundation for further collaboration between the applicant and Citadelle on the identification of markers for other defects and on the development of a prototype for quality monitoring for maple syrup.