Fresh to Freez e-Dried: A Comparative GCMS Study of Apples

To extract the organic compounds within an apple, 30 mL of a washed, peeled, and crushed apple was mixed with 30 mL of methylene chloride. The organic layer was extracted, dried, and then run through a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GCMS). Another portion of the same apple was freeze-dried, rehydrated, and processed in the same manner. The GCMS was able to identify 42 organic compounds within the two samples; however, only 11 of the compounds were found within both samples. Some of the molecules detected in both samples were not commonly found in apples but are common in agricultural practices. For example, pyrimethanil is a fungicide that was detected providing evidence that a washed, peeled, and freeze-dried apple will still contain detectable amounts of the fungicide. 2,5-dibromo-benzenamine was also detected among both apple samples and is associated with pesticides.