GC-O-MS Analysis of Aroma-Active Compounds of Chinese Almonds Obtained by Different Pretreatment Methods

Abstract

Almonds (Prunus dulcis) are an ancient and commercially valuable crop from Asia. In this experiment, solid-phase microextraction (SPME), solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE), and simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) were used to pretreat the almonds from China. The almond extract was then analyzed by aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) with gas chromatography-olfactory-mass spectrometer (GC-O-MS). SPME and SAFE were identified as the better extraction methods, and 52 aroma-active compounds of almonds, such as 1-nonanal, eugenol, and linalool, were identified based on odor activity values (OAVs). Aroma recombination and omission experiments showed that “sweet,” “fruity,” and “fatty” are the main aroma attributes of Chinese almonds, with a strong relationship with hexanal, heptaldehyde, 1-nonanal, etc. This experiment provides new insights into the sensory contribution of Chinese almond volatiles and helps Chinese almond producers characterize and market the aroma profile of Chinese almond varieties.