Characterization of aroma compounds in Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and olfactometry (GC-O).

The aroma-active compounds in Chinese bayberry were identified using gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and GC-mass spectrometry techniques. The volatile compounds were extracted using Liquid-liquid extraction, solvent-assisted flavor evaporation and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), respectively. On the basis of odor intensity, the most important aroma compounds in Chinese bayberry samples were caryophyllene, menthol, 4-terpineol, linalool oxide, linalool, benzyl alcohol, α-methylbenzyl alcohol, β-phenylethanol, 3-methylbutanoic acid and acetic acid, and so on. Moreover, HS-SPME technique was employed to investigate the aroma compounds among immature and mature waxberry fruits. The results showed that terpenes (for example, β-caryophyllene) was predominant and its concentration represented over 89.9% of the overall compounds, and alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, acids, and others were typically present in lesser amounts. Finally, principal component analysis revealed that there was also significant difference between immature and mature waxberry fruits.