Effect of moisture loss on aroma profile, key odorants, and fatty acids of Amomum tsaoko during vacuum oven drying.

The effects of vacuum oven drying at 60 °C on the aroma profile, key odorants, fatty acids, and chiral compounds of fresh Amomum tsaoko (AT) were evaluated over varying drying times. Quantitative descriptive analysis, solvent-assisted flavor evaporation, and gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry identified and quantitated 36 odor-active compounds. Aldehydes, particularly geranial (1606-1809 mg/kg), were consistently prominent across all drying durations. Twenty-four key odorants with odor activity values greater than one were identified and screened. Relationships among seven samples, 24 key odorants, and six attributes were elucidated through orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis. Notably, 13 odorants exhibited changes during the drying process, as indicated by variable importance for projection scores. Additionally, fatty acid analyses revealed that palmitic and oleic acids were predominant in AT. This study provides valuable insights into the impact of moisture loss on the key chemical components of AT, supporting the development of diverse consumer-oriented products.