Abstract: The difference in the volatile composition of Toona sinensis from eight production areas was evaluated by gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). A total of 56 compounds were identified, the major ones being alcohols and aldehydes. Using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), T. sinensis samples from the eight production areas were well distinguished. A total of 12 volatile compounds with a variable importance in projection (VIP) score greater than one were selected as marker compounds, among which, (E)-2-hexenal-D, ethyl acetate-D, p-ethylphenol, furfural and benzeneethanol were found to be the major differential metabolites. The volatile composition of T. sinensis from different production areas was significantly different. GC-IMS could allow for the rapid identification of the differential volatile organic compounds in T. sinensis from different production regions, which provides a useful basis for the study of the difference in the volatile aroma composition of T. sinensis from different production areas.

Key words: Toona sinensis; volatile organic compounds; gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry; principal component analysis; partial least squares-discriminant analysis