Mapping of volatile organic compounds in children’s saliva using headspace sorbent extraction coupled to TD-GC-MS

Saliva, an easily accessible biofluid, has emerged as a promising source of biomarkers for noninvasive disease diagnostics. Human saliva comprises a complex mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) originating from various sources, including exhaled breath, diet, environmental factors, and the body’s metabolic activity. Their presence in saliva can be influenced by several factors, including age, gender, diet, lifestyle, health status, and the oral microbiome. Qualitative analysis of salivary VOCs as potential indicators of specific lifestyles and early environmental exposure in children was performed. Saliva samples from 40 children were analyzed using a headspace high-capacity sorptive extraction (HS-HiSorb) technique coupled with thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). The method was developed and conditions such as the choice of sorbent material and sample preparation steps were optimized. A range of VOCs in the saliva samples, including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, nitrogen and sulfur containing compounds, organic acids, esters and hydrocarbons were identified and a selection of them were quantified. The influence of the HiSorb coating composition and the extraction parameters on the observed chromatographic areas of each analyte were also evaluated. A green sample preparation method for the qualitative analysis of VOCs in the saliva of children was developed.