Abstract: The volatile components in the pericarps and seed kernels of fresh Amomum tsaoko (ATK) from Nujiang, Yunnan were extracted by direct solvent extraction combined with solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE), and were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O). Thirty odor-active components (OACs), including 13 alkenes, 10 alcohols, 6 aldehydes and 1 ether, were identified by comparing the odor characteristics, mass spectrometry (MS) data, and retention indices with those of authentic compounds. Twenty-seven OACs were quantitated by using 2-octanol and 2-isopropylphenol as the internal standards. According to the quantitative results and the thresholds of OACs, the odor activity values (OAVs) of 22 OACs were calculated. Based on the OAVs obtained, a total of 17 key odorants (KOs) in the pericarps and 16 KOs in the seed kernels were determined. Some KOs, including 1,8-cineole, (+)-α-pinene, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-decenal, β-ocimene, linalool, α-terpineol, elemol, (E)-nerolidol, β-pinene, sabinene and 4-terpineol, were common to the pericarps and seed kernels, contributing to their similarities in odor notes. However, some odorants, including geranial, α-phellandrene, neral, terpinolene, (E)-2-dodecenal, β-myrcene, hexanal, d-limonene and β-caryophyllene, only occurred in either the pericarps or kernels, which made a distinction between their odors.

Key words: fresh fruit of Amomum tsaoko Crevost et Lemaire; solvent-assisted flavor evaporation; odor-active compounds; key odorants