Abstact The jujube-like aroma is widely regarded as a noble aroma of Pu-erh tea (PET), but the key odor-active compounds remain unclear. Thus, the molecular sensory science approaches were used to decode the key odor-active compounds of PET with jujube-like aroma. Sixty-eight volatiles were identified in both PETs and jujube sample. Among them, 19 odor-active compounds were identified by relative odor activity value (ROAV) and Pearson correlation analysis. Aroma recombination experiment successfully reproduced the characteristic jujube-like aroma of PET. Omission experiments identified 17 aroma compounds have significant contributions ( p < 0.05), with 9 key odor-active compounds including 1-octen-3-ol, hexanal, etc. ( p < 0.001). This study elucidates the key odor-active compounds of jujube-like aroma in PET, to provide a theoretical reference for the targeting process regulation of the product.
Xianxiu Zhou,Jiajing Hu,Hongchun Cui,Jiahao Tang,Yongwen Jiang,Haibo Yuan,Jiahua Li,Yanqin Yang
Floral–fruity aroma Pu-erh tea (FFAPET) is highly valued by consumers for its distinctive and appealing fragrance. This study conducted a comprehensive investigation into the volatile components of FFAPET using advanced analytical techniques, including GC-O-MS, GC-MS/MS, aroma recombination, and omission tests. Compared with traditional stale aroma Pu-erh tea, FFAPET exhibited higher levels of alcohols and alkenes. Through GC-O-MS combined with OAV analysis, 10 key active-aroma compounds were identified in representative FFAPET samples. These compounds included (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal, phenylethyl alcohol, geraniol, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, (Z)-4-heptenal, 2-phenethyl acetate, 2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanone,D-limonene,β-ionone, and linalool, all of which made significant contributions to the development of the characteristic floral–fruity aroma profile. Tests involving aroma recombination and omission further confirmed that seven of these odorants played essential roles in defining the overall aroma of FFAPET. These findings offer valuable theoretical insights for the enhancement and regulation of Pu-erh tea flavor, particularly for the optimization of the floral–fruity aroma characteristics.