Abstract: The volatile flavor compounds in the fruiting bodies of different strains of industrially cultivated Pleurotus eryngii were identified by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). An electronic nose system was used to discriminate among these strains by their flavor compounds. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the volatile components contributing primarily to the flavor. Based on general evaluation index (GEI) the aroma of the fruiting bodies of different P. eryngii strains was evaluated. The results showed that a total of 102 volatile components were detected in the fruiting bodies of seven strains of P. eryngii, including alcohols, alkenes and ketone ethers, and 36 volatile components were common to all the strains. The electronic nose system could differentiate among the seven strains. PCA showed that 2-butyl-2-octenal, 3-octanone, pentanol, acetone, hexanal, methyl isopentanoate, mercaptoethanol, 2,4-diclofenac, 3-methylbutyraldehyde and isoamyl alcohol were mainly responsible for the aroma of P. eryngii. The results of GEI showed that there were significant differences in the aroma of the industrially cultivated strains, among which, G.S. had the best aroma. This study provides a theoretical guideline for the development of flavor components and the breeding of P. eryngii.

Key words: Pleurotus eryngii, volatile flavor compounds, principal component analysis, aroma evaluation