Development of a HS-SPME/GC-MS Method for the Extraction and Identification of the Volatile Compounds Emitted by Flowers of <i>Tillandsia xiphioides</i>

Abstract

<i>Tillandsia</i> is a genus belonging to the Bromeliaceae family, most of which are epiphytes. The flowers of some of the <i>Tillandsia</i> species are very fragrant, but the volatile composition has been scarcely reported. In this report, we studied the chemical composition of volatile compounds emitted by the flowers of <i>Tillandsia xiphioides</i> using the HS-SPME/GC-MS method. The extraction conditions (fiber, temperature, and time) were optimized using a multivariate approach, and the composition of the extracted volatiles was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In total, 30 extracted compounds were identified. Two extraction methods are necessary for the efficient extraction of the volatile compounds. These results were applied to profile two forms of <i>T. xiphioides</i>.