Membrane inlet mass spectrometry method for food intake impact assessment on specific volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath

This research work describes the development of a novel bioanalytical method for the assessment of food impact on selected exhaled breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using a fast and portable screening VOC prototype sensor based on membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS). Method and sensor prototype functionality was verified by obtaining good response times, linearity in the examined concentration ranges, and sensitivity and repeatability for several breath VOCs—acetone, ethanol, n-pentane, and isoprene. A new VOC sensor prototype was also proven to be sensitive enough for selected breath VOC quantification with limits of detection at low part per billion (ppb) levels—5 ppb for n-pentane, 10 ppb for acetone and ethanol, and 25 ppb for isoprene. Food impact assessment was accomplished by tracking the levels of acetone, ethanol, n-pentane, and isoprene in exhaled breath samples collected from 50 healthy participants before the meal and 60 min and 120 min after the meal. For acetone, isoprene, and n-pentane, a larger impact was noticed 120 min after the meal, while for ethanol, it was after 60 min. Obtained VOC levels were in the expected concentration ranges. Mean values at all time points were ~ 500–900 ppb for acetone and ~ 400–600 ppb for ethanol. Most of the results for n-pentane were below 5 ppb, but the mean value for those which were detected was ~ 30 ppb. Along with samples, data about participants’ lifestyle were collected via a short questionnaire, which were compared against obtained VOC levels in order to reveal some significant correlations between habits of participants and their breath VOC levels. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: Portable MS: monitoring of food impact on the levels of selected VOCs from exhaled breath [Image: see text]