Solid-phase microextraction as a tool for studying volatile compounds in frog skin

Abstract

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is an effective technique for studying frog volatile secretions. Its primary advantage is in its application to sampling live animals. The ability to sample an organism over an extended period allows changes in an individual's chemical signature to be determined. The presence of eucalyptol in the skin secretion of Ewing's tree frog, Litoria ewingi, was used to assess the effectiveness of SPME in sampling frog volatiles. Rapid sample times coupled with the polydimethyisiloxane/ divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fibre provided the best signal/noise ratio for the majority of frog volatiles analysed, and importantly resulted in the least amount of stress to the animals involved.