Flavor characteristics of key aroma compounds in bayberry juice, fruit, and thinning fruit using HS-SPME coupled with GC/Q-TOF-MS

Abstract

Bayberry juice has high potential value both for both health and the economy in China. However, great challenges arise in retaining the original flavor of bayberry juice. Using headspace solid-phase microextraction with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, this work investigated flavor differences between bayberry juice and bayberry fruit. Additionally, the relative odor activity value (ROAV) was used to determine the aroma contribution of the flavor compounds to the overall flavor. Aroma compounds, such as (E)− 2-decenal (orange, sweet, green), linalool (floral), and (E)-β-ocimene (sweet, herbal), were absent from bayberry juice. Moreover, compounds such as β-caryophyllene (woody, spice), nonanal (orange, green), and (E)− 2-nonenal (citrus, green) exhibited significantly greater ROAVs in bayberry juice than in bayberry fruit. The above differences led to a deviation in the flavor of bayberry juice from that of bayberry fruit. Bayberry thinning fruit, an agricultural waste, is rich in aroma compounds, including key bayberry flavor compounds such as (E)− 2-decenal, linalool, and (E)-β-ocimene. Using bayberry thinning fruit as one of the raw materials for bayberry juice could not only supplement the missing flavor characteristic compounds in bayberry juice but also achieve sustainable utilization of bayberry thinning fruit.