Abstract:

The volatile components of salted chili samples with a salinity between 10% and 20% before and after
fermentation with salt-tolerant lactobacilli were analyzed by headspace solid phase micro extraction (SPME) combined with
gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Totally 194 volatile substances belonging to 27 chemical classes were
identified in four samples. A total of 94 volatile compounds were identified in lactobacilli-fermented pepper with a salinity of 20%,
92 compounds in fermented pepper with a salinity of 10%, 83 compounds in non-fermented pepper with a salinity of 10%, and 78
compounds in non-inoculated pepper with a salinity of 20%. The total contents of volatile substances in these four samples were
75.63%, 66.89%, 66.43% and 53.31%, respectively. The main volatile aroma components of salted pepper included alcohols,
acids, esters, aldehydes, ketones and alkanes and fermentation with salt-tolerant lactobacilli could increase significantly the types
and quantities of volatile compounds, which contributed to the formation of pickled pepper flavor.

Key words: salted pepper, volatile, aroma substances, headspace solid phase micro extraction (HS-SPME), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)