Abstract: The differential non-volatile compounds between green tea with a refreshing aroma and that with a chestnut-like aroma were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). A total of 543 chemical compounds were identified in the two tea samples, 173 of which were found to show significantly different contents between the two samples, including 75 flavonoids, 22 phenolic acids, 1 terpene, 31 lipids, 9 amino acids and their derivatives, 4 alkaloids, 9 nucleotides and their derivatives, 5 organic acids, 5 lignans and coumarins, 1 tannin, and 11 other kinds. Out of the compounds common to both teas, 63 were more abundant and 110 were less abundant in green tea with a refreshing aroma than with a chestnut-like aroma. In addition, a total of 7 compounds, namely α-linolenic acid, palmitoleic acid, vanillin, γ-aminobutyric acid, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, cryptochlorogenic acid, and L-methionine were identified as important aroma compounds in green tea. Moreover, cryptochlorogenic acid and L-methionine were found to be prominent in green tea with a refreshing aroma, whilst α-linolenic acid, palmitoleic acid, vanillin, γ-aminobutyric acid, and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside were dominant in green tea with a chestnut-like aroma.

Key words: refreshing aroma; chestnut-like aroma; green tea; non-volatile compounds; differential compounds