Characterization of aroma-active volatiles in three Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) cultivars using GC–MS–olfactometry and an electronic nose combined with principal component analysis

•GC–MS–O combined with E-Nose were used to analyze the aroma-active profile of Chinese bayberry.•PCA distinguished cultivars of bayberry samples successfully.•The performance of discrimination was confirmed by the combination of GC–MS–O and E-Nose.•β-Caryophyllene is the predominant volatile, and hexanal is with the highest frequency by GC–O.

Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) is one of the most popular and valuable fruits in China because of its unique and exquisite flavor. In this study, headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and olfactometry (GC–MS–O) analyses were used to characterize the aroma-active profiles of the fruits from three different bayberry cultivars. The aim was to differentiate the bayberry cultivars by their aroma. Fifty-five volatile components, composed of aldehydes (10), alcohols (9), esters (8), terpenes (17), and others (11), were identified by optimized HS-SPME/GC–MS. Meanwhile, 36 aroma-active compounds were detected by olfactometry using detection frequency analysis (DFA). Hexanal (grass-like), (E)-2-hexenal (green), nonanal (fruit, flower), 1-hexanol (flower), and isocaryophillene (wood) were identified in all three cultivars. Further principal component analysis (PCA) of the active aromas revealed their contributions to the odor differences among the bayberry cultivar groups. The BQ bayberry was characterized by having a stronger “herb” odor, which is mainly caused by benzoic acid and methyl ester. DK bayberry had a stronger “grass” odor, which is mainly caused by 2,6-dimethyl-2,4,6-octatriene, while FHZ bayberry had a stronger “pine” odor, which is caused mainly by α-pinene. The GC–MS–O and electronic nose techniques, when combined with PCA, could be used to successfully distinguish between different bayberry cultivars.