Sample preparation and recent trends in volatolomics for diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases

The analysis of the human volatilome can be successfully used for rapid and non-invasive diagnostics of gastrointestinal diseases. However, the introduction of techniques based on detection of volatiles is limited, among other factors, by difficulties which arise during the sampling stage and instrumental analysis. The aim of this article was to review and discuss medical and analytical literature on the analysis of volatiles in diagnostics of gastrointestinal disorders and to elaborate on technical aspects of sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds in this context. The easily overlooked technical aspects of the sampling and analysis of volatiles can have a significant impact on the outcome of the classification. In order to introduce headspace analysis into clinical practise, it is necessary to standardise upon the best available techniques and to introduce external validation of the results.