Rapid and sensitive quantitation of DDMP (2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one) in baked red jujubes by HS-SPME-GC-MS/MS

Baked red jujube is a common food ingredient used to enrich the nutritional value and enhance the aroma. DDMP (2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one) with intense bitterness and potential toxicity may be present in several baked red jujube-based products but there are no well-defined methods to measure it quickly, sensitively, and accurately. Headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS/MS) was applied for the analysis of DDMP. The standard curve was linear between the concentrations of 0.01 and 100 μg/mL, with a limit of detection at 0.1 ng/g that below the sensory threshold of DDMP (2.06 μg/g). Five cultivars of baked red jujubes from China were evaluated with the method for DDMP content (4.55–46.50 μg/g). The results indicated that jujube cultivars with a higher molar ratio of proline to glucose, lower moisture content, and stronger ability to resist water stress should be avoided from baking to modulate the formation of DDMP.