Jia Qian-Qian, Ma Yan-Rong, Bi Wen-Lu, Su Ding-Ding
Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Shandong 261325, China.
Food Chem X. 2025 May 2;28:102520. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102520. eCollection 2025 May.
Tribute rice, recognized for its unique quality and aroma, served as an imperial staple in ancient China. Many varieties of tribute rice are still preserved after hundreds of years. What makes them premium rice and why did they gain royal preference? What are their unique flavor characteristics? Little research has explored these aspects so far. This study highlights why tribute rice is favored by royalty and provides scientific insights into its distinct aromas. Through HS-GC-IMS analysis of ten representative tribute rice varieties, 74 volatile organic compounds were detected, including 69 characterized compounds: 21 aldehydes, 20 alcohols, 8 esters, 7 ketones, 4 heterocyclic compounds, 3 terpenoids, 2 acids, and 9 unclassified substances. Aldehydes and alcohols dominated the volatile profile, collectively accounting for over 50 % of the total relative content. These identified volatile components in ten tribute rice obtained by GC-IMS could be well distinguished by principal components. Meanwhile, orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) identified 15 key discriminatory volatiles. Notably, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP), known for its popcorn-like aroma, was detected across all samples-likely a trait that contributed to its selection as a royal offering. These findings advance our understanding of volatile compound variations in tribute rice across geographic origins, providing a scientific basis for origin authentication and quality enhancement.
贡米因其独特的品质和香气而闻名，在中国古代曾是皇室的主食。历经数百年，许多贡米品种至今仍得以保存。是什么使其成为优质大米，为何受到皇室青睐？它们独特的风味特征是什么？目前很少有研究探讨这些方面。本研究着重阐述了贡米受皇室喜爱的原因，并对其独特香气提供了科学见解。通过对十个具有代表性的贡米品种进行顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱-离子迁移谱（HS-GC-IMS）分析，检测到74种挥发性有机化合物，其中包括69种已鉴定的化合物：21种醛类、20种醇类、8种酯类、7种酮类、4种杂环化合物、3种萜类、2种酸类以及9种未分类物质。醛类和醇类在挥发性成分中占主导地位，其相对含量总和超过总量的50%。通过主成分分析，能够很好地区分气相色谱-离子迁移谱（GC-IMS）在十个贡米中鉴定出的这些挥发性成分。同时，正交偏最小二乘法判别分析（OPLS-DA）确定了15种关键的鉴别挥发性成分。值得注意的是，在所有样品中均检测到具有爆米花香气的2-乙酰基-1-吡咯啉（2-AP），这可能是其被选为皇家贡品的一个特质。这些发现加深了我们对不同地理来源贡米挥发性化合物变化的理解，为产地鉴定和品质提升提供了科学依据。
