Abstract:

Headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS)
has been successfully applied to analyze and compare volatile flavor compounds of green tea beverages from different
regions by the combined use of correlation analysis and odor active value (OAV). The results showed that the total aroma
content of low-sugar green tea beverage were much greater than that of free-sugar tea beverage. Although the main aroma
components of green tea beverages from different regions were different, common ingredients, including linalool and
limonene, still existed; the contents of esters, ketones and alkenes in green tea beverage from mainland China were higher
while the contents of alcohols, alkenes and aldehydes in green tea beverage from Japan were higher; and the contents of
esters and alcohols in green tea beverage from Taiwan, China were higher, while the content of alkene was much lower than
that in mainland China and Japan. Ten volatile compounds were highly correlated with aroma attributes, such as (E)-linalool
oxide (0.93**), which was found to be significantly and positively correlated with floral aroma, (Z)-3-hexenol (0.90*) and
β-cyclocitral (0.92**), which were found significantly positively correlated with green flavor, β-ionone (-0.92**), which
was found to be significantly negatively correlated with fruity aroma, β-damascenone (0.95**) was found to be significantly
and positively correlated with sweet aroma, and 1-ethylpyrrole, which was found to be significantly and positively correlated
with roast. There were six major components contributing mostly to the whole aroma, including β-damascenone, β-ionone,
linalool, damascone, decanal and limonene.

Key words: green tea beverage, volatile components, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), odor active value (OAV)