Abstract:

Volatile components of head cabbage pickles fermented with different starter cultures and head cabbage were extracted
by headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A
total of 55 compounds were identified. Relative odor activity value (ROAV) was used to evaluate the critical odor compounds
in different pickles. The results showed that there was a great difference in the chemical classes of odor compounds in different
pickles and only 1-nonanal was detected in all the pickles. The principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the overall
flavors of head cabbage and pickles fermented by old brine and Lactobacillus brevis were obviously different. On the contrary,
pickles from natural fermentation and fermention by Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Lactobacillus plantarum were similar in the
overall flavor which had a close relationship with 1-nonanal, allyl isothiocyanate and D-limonene.

Key words: pickles, volatile components, key odor compounds, principal component analysis (PCA)