Abstract: The volatile compounds of jujube flowers at different stages of maturity and jujube honey were extracted by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O). SPME conditions were optimized. The main aroma compounds of jujube flowers were 2-ethyl butyrate, ethyl valerate, (E)-2-methyl-2-maleate, 3-enol ethyl ester, α-ocimene, 4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonyl triene, α-farnesene, 2-methyl ethyl butyrate, 4-methyl-pentanoic acid ethyl ester, ethyl benzoate, lauric acid methyl ester, and 2-methyl cyclobutanone. The aroma descriptions of jujube flowers detected by GC-O were fruity, floral, sour and grassy. The aroma compounds in both jujube flowers and honey were (E)-3-hexen-1-alcohol, isooctyl alcohol, linalool, benzyl alcohol, acetic acid, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, azelaic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, 2,6-methyl-1,3,5,7-octatetraene, phenol, methylis salicylas, methoxy phenyl oxime, naphthalene, and 3-cyanopyridine, which were mainly responsible for the characteristic jujube flower aroma of jujube honey.

Key words: jujube flower, jujube honey, volatile compounds, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry, solid-phase microextraction