American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences 5 (3): 261-268, 2010 ISSN 1557-4989 © 2010 Science Publications Corresponding Author: Cristobal N. Aguilar, Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Blvd., Venustiano Carranza Col. República 25280, Saltillo Coahuila, México Tel: +52(844)416 9213 Fax: +52(844)439 0511 261 Chemical Profile of Sotol Analyzed by Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography Heliodoro de la Garza, Juan Buenrostro, María Reyes-Vega, Raúl Rodríguez, Dolores G. Martinez and Cristobal N. Aguilar Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Blvd., Venustiano Carranza Col. República 25280, Saltillo Coahuila, México Abstract: Problem statement: Sotol is a distilled spirit made from Dasylirion spp., a plant (called sotol) that grows in the wilds of Northern Mexico and west Texas and New Mexico. This alcoholic beverage is produced in a similar process to the more common artisanal tequila and mescal. Sotol is also now beginning to achieve international recognition; however there are few commercial examples available, which are elaborated with poor quality and sensorial attributes un-defined. Approach: This is the first study which reported a chemical characterization of the main components of six commercial sotols, establishing the correlations among the samples and determining the similitude levels. Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography (SPME-GC) was used to analyze the chemical compounds present in the sotols (Hacienda TM , Mesteno TM , Coyamito, Los Cuates, un-aged Alacrán and rested Alacran). Results: From data obtained of the analysis of main components, a total of 25 chemical compounds were found to be related with six physicochemical characteristics of sotol, explaining 66.1% of the total variance. Rested Alacran and un-aged Alacran sotols were related by the high content of propionic acid, undecanoic acid, acetic acid, buthanol and furfural and by the low contents of phenyl ethanol, decanoic acid and ethyl dodecanoic acid. Mesteno TM and Coyamito sotols presented an opposite chemical composition. Hacienda TM sotol contains high concentration of propanol, ethyl acetate, methyl butanol, hexadienal and low levels of ethyl decanoic acid and naftalene, chemical compounds do not found in Los cuates sotol. Conclusion: This study revealed for first time the chemical profile of the sotol demonstrating the necessity to improve the elaboration process of this alcoholic beverage to offer a Mexican product of high quality in the global market. Key words: Sotol, SPME-GC, chemical compounds, alcoholic beverage INTRODUCTION Information of chemical composition of an important Mexican alcoholic beverage called sotol, is scarce and confuse, limiting its commercialization in the global market. Chemical composition of a product determines its quality and it is important criterion to be considered during the elaboration process. Sotol is distilled liquor obtained from the fermentation of rectified musts from heads of Dasylirion cedrosanum and/or D. duranguensis. During the fermentation, native yeasts convert the fructans and free sugars into ethanol (Robertfroid and Delzenne, 1998). Then, fermented liquid is distilled in rustic equipments to be bottled and commercialized. Three types of sotols are currently commercialized (un-aged, rested and anejo). In the case of maturated sotols, barrels of encino, oak, acacia, Mexican beech and fresno are commonly used. From the pre-Hispanic era, in the North of Mexico and the South of United States, fermented sotol was consumed as food by natives. With the arrival of Spanish colonizers, distillation was introduced in the process, obtaining a liquor called sotol or sereque (De la Garza-Toledo et al., 2008). This process has remained without changes, for this reason the beverage is impure and presents low quality. New conditions of market for this popular drink are changing the form of elaboration of the product, for this reason the standardization of the process is a necessity. Conversion of fermentable sugars to alcohol is given in a spontaneous fermentation of sotol musts, exhibiting a population succession of microorganisms.