Abstract: Pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum) oil was produced by deep-frying using 17 Chinese red pepper samples from different geographical origins as raw materials, and sensory evaluation and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) were used to determine the temporal dynamic curves of numb taste intensity and the content and composition of numb taste-active substances, respectively. The numb taste characteristics of pepper oil from different production areas were investigated by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and systematic cluster analysis (CA). The results showed that the numb taste characteristics and the composition of numb taste-active components of pepper oil from different production areas were significantly different (P < 0.05). In addition, the 17 oil samples were clustered into four clusters. Cluster I included the cultivars Fujiao and Mianjiao from Gansu, and Dahongpao from Maoxian and Wenchuan of Sichuan. Cluster II included the cultivar Nanjiao from Sichuan. Cluster III included the cultivar Dahongpao from Shaanxi, Shanxi and Hebei. Cluster IV included small- and large-sized peppers from unknown cultivars.

Key words: deep-fried Zanthoxylum bungeanum oil; different production areas; time-intensity curve; high performance liquid chromatography; partial least squares-discriminant analysis