Determination and Comparison of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Celery (Apium graveolens L.) Seeds by Headspace-Solid-Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Multivariate Analysis

Abstract

The utilization of celery seeds as seasonings and in herbal teas is widespread due to their significant nutritional and medicinal value. The determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a valuable tool for species identification and classification. Currently, there is an absence of information investigating the volatile constituents present in the cultivars of celery seeds. To analyze the varietal differences of celery seeds, VOCs were isolated using headspace solid-phase microextraction with by determination by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The samples underwent further comparison using multivariate statistical analysis to determine the changes in VOCs. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to conduct correlation measurements on the samples. An orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model was developed to discriminate between samples and identify differential compounds. The distribution of these key compounds in these seeds was analyzed using a Sankey diagram. The samples contained 30 volatile components, mainly terpenes and esters. Correlation analysis revealed distinct variations in the VOCs. Furthermore, the utilization of the OPLS-DA model facilitated the identification of 11 differential compounds. The Sankey diagram illustrated significant disparities in the distribution patterns of these key compounds in the celery seeds.